Monochrome World
by solitaryloner
Summary: Story inspired by Monochrome Dream-Eater Baku. Bakus are immortal creatures, and they eat dreams...good dreams, bad dreams, it doesn't matter to them. Len Kagamine, a nightmare baku, enjoys nightmares especially. He's malicious, twisted, sadistic - but then he meets a vivid little dreamer. Someone who piques his interest enough to make him stay for more. LenXMiku.
1. Chapter 1

The girl screamed, waking up from the throes of yet another horrible nightmare. She wanted to rip her eyes out, wanted to drown herself so that she didn't have to face this again, every night, over and over again…she wanted the dreams to go away.

But they never did, never left her alone, and all she could do was watch them with a vivid kind of horrified expectancy because she _knew _when it was a nightmare and she could not run away, no matter how much she wished she could do that. Her dreams never left her alone. How many nights had she prayed, trying to stay awake so that she wouldn't have to go to sleep and be plagued by an inescapable nightmare? But she always succumbed to sleep in the end. Because she was weak, and deep down she was nothing but a scared little girl who was still scared of noises in the dark.

The dream tonight was a familiar one. It was so familiar that she had _expected _it to come to her tonight and yet despite this expectancy, its horror never failed to shock her. It never failed to make her cry and whimper and finally wake up screaming – never failed to make her react the way nightmares made everyone react. Make her _scared_. This particular nightmare had been about her parents' deaths. She thought she would have gotten over the trauma by now. It had been eight entire years after all – but no, she was still scarred. She wondered if the scarring would ever go away, if she would ever have peace of mind. She didn't think so, not when she could _remember _oh so clearly – the looks of resignation, the mangled corpses, the burning wreckage, the blood…the _blood._

And last night…last night's nightmare had been about her uncle. This one was another familiar, recurring old dream. One she really wished would go away and leave her alone. At least in the one with her parents dying, she got to see her parents again, even if it was for only a fleeting moment, even if they ended up…dead. For her uncle…she never wanted to see him again. She knew she would never have to see him again, but she saw him again in her nightmares and that was more than bad enough. Dreaming about him made her feel like she had been cast into an abyss, and that she had no way to claw out of it no matter how hard she tried. She was forever stuck there with nothing but fear.

She was huddled up in her bed, rocking back and forth. Her chin was on her knees, her arms over her head – trying to hide and become a small ball, so that maybe the nightmares wouldn't notice her and would just leave her alone. But she knew that was just an empty wish, and it wouldn't work. They always found her, no matter how hard she tried. "Go away, go away, leave me alone," her voice was a soft whimper, and she sounded like she was going to cry. She hated that – hated crying. The tears started to roll down her cheeks, and normally she would have tried to brush them away, but was there really a point anymore? "Why won't you just leave me alone?" her voice was a gasp.

She hated this feeling of being alone, because she had never felt so truly alone before. Ever since Mikuo went away to study – he went to this prestigious university in the other town, and he left her alone – she had been so…alone. So lonely, and without him, there was no one to comfort her anymore when she woke up from a bad dream. No one to reassure her that everything was fine, and that it was nothing more than a _dream _– that at the end of the day he would always be there for her and there was absolutely nothing for her to be afraid of. Mikuo was gone too. Her parents were gone. Everyone was gone, and she was left all alone. She hated being alone in this big and empty house. It felt like there were too many spaces for the nightmares to hide in. Was that why they came to her every night – because the empty house gave them room to stay…

_Why won't the bad dreams just go away?_

* * *

><p>The <em>baku <em>smirked, knowing that someone was in need of his services. He could _smell _it, _taste _it – the smell of fear in the air. _Someone is having a nightmare, isn't she? I can always sense the presence of a good, juicy nightmare. Ah, but they're the best – a good nightmare is the most adrenaline filled, the best dessert of all…if they don't want it, I do._

Cane in hand and wide-brimmed straw hat perched neatly on his blond hair, the _baku _decided that perhaps it would be ethical for him to pop in and give the dreamer a visit. He was curious, after all – curious to see who could be giving off such strong waves of terror in so peaceful a night. In fact, peaceful was a stretch – he would go so far as to say that the night was being rather boring. The most entertaining thing he had seen in the two hours he roamed around the dark neighbourhood was two cats fighting over a catnip plant growing in a crack in the pavement. He had moved on – it interested him little. Animals didn't have the wide capacity to dream that humans did…

He located the house from which the waves of terror were emanating. They were so strong to him. Just like a beacon in the darkness, showing him the way. He followed the scent of fear to one of the windows and, effortlessly, sprang up to swing himself into the room. _Careless girl, leaving her window open like that. Someone could just come in and take her away, and she would never know. _The carelessness of humans amused him sometimes. It made for better entertainment than anything his brethren was able to offer him, at any rate. Sometimes, he wondered if he would be better off making his residence in the mortal world permanent – but then he would be missed by the others.

He landed in the room, his footsteps light as a feather – but the girl noticed him, and she immediately withdrew from him, huddling into the bed. "Who are you?" she whispered, her green eyes wide in the darkness. Her hands were laced together, and he knew she was nervous – saw it in the way those fingers clenched and unclenched. But he knew that she had been frightened even before he entered her room – she had been scared the whole night…scared of falling asleep. He wondered what sort of delicious nightmare she was having such that she was terrified of sleeping – oh, he was most curious. That was a weakness of his, of course – curiosity. Not that he liked admitting his weaknesses.

"Who I am…it isn't important, miss," he bowed slightly to her, the very image of formality. He tipped his hat while he spoke, using it to hide his face from her – he doubted she could see him clearly in the darkness of the night anyway. The moon was hidden behind the clouds tonight. He found that sad – it made the night duller than usual. But perhaps this girl could change that. "I'm here to offer you a deal."

"What sort of deal?" the girl asked, her green eyes filling up with suspicion. She was a pretty girl, he was realising, now that he bothered to look at her and not just the fear that surrounded her. He wondered how she was taking all this so calmly – other humans he had observed would have threatened to call the police on him by now, yet here she was, still talking to the suspicious boy so peacefully, so calmly. She was even carrying on the conversation with him. He tilted his head, experimenting – he took one step closer, and she did nothing, continuing to watch him with suspicion in her pretty green eyes.

And then he realised_. Ah…she thinks that I'm nothing but another dream. And she's not afraid since I'm not one of the nightmares that she's used to. _That made more sense. He continued looking into her eyes, and decided that he quite liked her eyes – he had never seen such green eyes before, though in the darkness of the room they looked almost black. He decided, there and then, that he liked this human enough to stay around for a while and see what she wanted. He knew she would want something from him – and even better, he knew exactly the perfect thing to offer her, to tempt her and lure her in.

''Do you want me to _take away _your nightmares?'' he crooned at her, stepping yet closer to her bed. She stared at him, suspicion never leaving those forest-green eyes. He found that rather entertaining, and waited with a faint smile on his lips – though of course, the smile was not genuine. He could not smile, after all. _Everything is a farce_, the familiar thought whispered, but he pushed that aside for now – he wanted to concentrate on the little girl sitting on the bed, just staring at him and waiting for his proposition. "I can take all the scary nightmares away. I can give you nothing but bliss and sweet dreams," he whispered, his voice smooth and alluring. She was listening closely, he was aware.

"But how can you do that?" her voice was a mix of disbelief and curiosity – and underneath all that there was hope. She was hoping that he would really be able to fulfil what he said he could do. _Rest assured, young one, that when I say I can do that, I can do it. But for a price. _Everything in the world came with a price. In the _baku _world, that held true, and he supposed it was no different in the mortal world. No one would ever do anything for nothing, of course. Creatures were all born to be self-serving.

"I'm a dream eating _baku_, miss. I have the power to _eat _away your nightmares. They're my sustenance. And in exchange, I can give you the sweet dreams you so desire," he explained, wondering whether she would believe him – for, even in a dream, he was aware that this sounded preposterous. "Not that I would normally give one sweet dreams, of course. That's the job of the _nice bakus_, isn't it? Not really what I like to do," he shrugged, looking away from her, conveying boredom – he hoped she was hooked.

"So you're…not a nice _baku_?" she asked, sounding curious and rather wary of him. But that wasn't unexpected. If he was in her position, he would have been wary of himself as well. After all, he had come into her room in the middle of the night, entirely uninvited, then out of nowhere he offered her a deal and now he was telling her that he was not nice. No one in their right mind would do that kind of thing – but then, he wasn't a mortal, was he? And he didn't have to follow conventional mortal rules and behaviours. He was a _baku_, and he could therefore behave in any way he wanted to behave.

"Well, that depends on your definition of nice now, doesn't it, miss?" the _baku _drawled. "Does the simple act of giving someone sweet dreams make you nice, hmm? I'm not too sure about that. I like to give people nightmares – does that make me evil? I don't think so too. It really depends on what I _like _to give to people – and if you want me to give you sweet dreams, then I suppose that I can do that," he finished, sounding rather bored. She pursed her lips, and he was aware that she was taking his proposal very, very seriously. She was a lot more careful than other mortals he had dealt with in the past and that made things different. That made things slightly more exciting than before.

''Well, then do you like to give sweet dreams?'' she finally asked, as if that was a question of utmost importance. Perhaps it was important to her. Not so much to him. But he answered her anyway, knowing that if he did not answer she would not have peace of mind and would therefore not agree to entering his deal – and he _wanted _this deal. He had never seen someone with such vividly intense nightmares, and he really wished that he could have one taste, just _one _taste, of those lovely bad dreams…

He winked in response to her question. "I won't say that I like to _give _out dreams, miss. Not at all. I'd rather eat dreams, especially _nightmares,"_ his voice dropped to a low, sensuous whisper. ''Don't you think that nightmares are the most _delicious _dreams? The fear, the panic, the adrenaline…it's all just so sinful, isn't it? Makes me long for a lot more than I know I should take," he leant close to her, his tone conspiratorial, as though he was sharing some really important secret with her. Perhaps he was, she didn't know.

Miku blinked as the _baku's _cool breath washed over her face – they were now so close that she could feel his presence, feel his breath. His breath was more than just cool – his breath was _icy cold, _frigid like a harsh, biting winter wind. It reminded her of ice and frost, minty and crisp. It reminded her of the darkness of her mind, the fear in her dreams, the blindness that came with being stuck in a nightmare and being unable to claw her way out. It reminded her of everything she didn't like – yet, she found that she did not have the urge to back away from him. He was…somehow mesmerising.

_I wonder, though. Shouldn't such cold wake me up from the dream by now? I have yet to awaken. Perhaps…perhaps this nightmare eater is not a dream after all? Is he real? But that can't be – there are no such things as bakus. They're nothing but myths, made to entertain little children. My mother told me about them. Bedtime stories, she said._

"I don't want to have any more nightmares," she finally said, her voice trembling – oh, how she wished this was possible, how much she hoped that this _baku _could really take all the bad dreams away, the way he said he could. He sounded so confident about himself – surely he wouldn't be lying to her? "Can you take them away? You say you like to eat nightmares, don't you? Can you take my nightmares away?" she sounded almost pleading. He wondered if she was begging him. Was she really that desperate? He would never understand why humans didn't like nightmares – they were so wonderful, they were so exciting compared to the boring little sweet dreams they desired so greatly.

The _baku's _dark blue eyes glinted with some kind of dark promise. In the moonlight, his eyes seemed almost black; the midnight blue was so dark. His eyes were as dark as the outside night. "Of _course _I can, Miku Hatsune,'' he crooned, ''but we must have some kind of _deal. _We all have to pay a price for hiring services, don't we, even _cleaning services_…" His voice was lilting, and she was hesitant – the way he spoke made her feel like she was missing the main point of the whole bargain, but she had no idea what she was missing here. She was so scared to enter a deal with this enigma, with this _dream_, but if there was any way for her to escape from her bad dreams then she would grab at that chance. Hadn't she been hoping for a way for her nightmares to leave, just earlier? Here was her chance – she would be stupid not to take it, even if it was just a dream…

"What's the deal then?" she whispered hesitantly, almost afraid of the answer. She was, to be honest, more frightened of the _baku _than of her nightmares. At least her nightmares were familiar – whereas this nightmare eater…she knew nothing about him at all. He was just someone who had mysteriously appeared in her room and offered her an extremely tempting bargain, one that no doubt came with hidden strings attached. But the offer was so alluring – she really, really just wanted to take it up, no matter what the price it was that she had to pay. But she knew better than to just blindly agree – for what if she agreed to give him something that she could not afford to give up?

The _baku_, this dream she had somehow, mysteriously conjured up, was dangerously handsome. His blond hair was tied up in a loose ponytail that hung low on the nape of his neck, and his dressing reminded her of a young gentleman – even his mannerisms made her think of a bygone age of courtesy and elegance. She had never seen someone who was quite as handsome as this _baku_ – there was something about his already flawless features that made you want to stare – and not just stare, but outright gawk, and wish to reach out and touch and caress…just to see if he was real, or a figment of the imagination. It made her even more certain he was a dream – he looked too perfect to be real, and she didn't believe that such a boy could ever exist in reality…

But despite his good looks, the _baku _exuded an air of lethality and mystery. He was a strange mix of maliciousness and politeness, a conundrum, a puzzle she couldn't figure out. She knew he was malicious. She could sense it underneath his seemingly polite words, the undercurrent of antagonism that made her so wary of him. It was what convinced her that he had some kind of hidden agenda, though outwardly the boy seemed to be offering her an amazing bargain she would be a fool to pass. But she didn't want to fall prey to any traps he might have devised – though, why would he trick her when he didn't even know who she was, and vice-versa? What was the point to all this?

"I'll think about the deal and what you have to give me in return. But what I ask of you then, you must agree to, absolutely no questioning or refusal," his full lips tilted up. He always seemed to be smiling, but the smile didn't reassure her at all. Not one bit. It was the smile a wolf might give before it devoured you completely, leaving behind no evidence that you had ever even existed. It was a predatory kind of smile which wasn't meant to comfort, but meant to frighten. And it was having its desired effect upon her.

"That's unreasonable," she protested at once. What kind of deal was this? He said he would be allowed to decide what he wanted, as he wanted – that was extremely unfair, and even in her current sleepy state she was perfectly aware of the unjustness of it all. "I mean, if we're going to deal, you should set out the premises of the agreement now, before I actually say yes to anything. That's how things work," she tried to defend her point. The look the _baku _shot her showed her how little he cared about fairness.

He rose from the mattress – when had he sat next to her? She hadn't noticed – and stretched. He was so much taller than her, she realised now, when he was standing so close to her – when he was right by her side. ''Well, that's the way _bakus _work, miss, and I'm sorry if that doesn't meet your expectations. We go by our laws when we make deals with humans. Take it or leave it…I don't have all night," the last sentence was spoken in a cautionary tone, and she was thrust into immense conflict. On one hand, she wanted her nightmares to be gone. But on the other hand…allowing this was dangerous.

She hesitated. _But in the end, this is all just a dream, right? So it doesn't matter what I agree to, then. _Her thoughts surfaced, and she found herself nodding in agreement. Yes, that made sense. So finally, in a low voice, she agreed to the deal. His smirk returned, and she didn't think she had ever seen someone looking so triumphant before. He looked…what was the expression for it? He looked so satisfied – yes, he looked like a cat which had just spotted a saucer full of cream, and was now preparing to devour it.

"Incidentally, if you ever renege on your word, miss, I'll return you _every single one of your nightmares, _and more. You'll be lucky if you aren't sent to a mental ward after that.'' He tapped the side of his head under his wide-brimmed hat. ''Padded rooms, straitjackets...you wouldn't like that now, would you?" his words were spoken casually, but there was again that undercurrent of danger that she hated, that she already didn't like despite talking to him for only a few short minutes. She knew that his casual tone of voice masked a truly dangerous warning, and she found herself wondering what she had gotten herself into – _ah, but don't forget. Ultimately this is all just a dream…_

She nodded, showing her understanding. The _baku _smiled, and somehow she felt this faintest sense of relief – that finally, finally there was a possibility that her nightmares would no longer plague her – that he would remove them and replace them with sweet dreams, the way he said he would. She wondered if she would regret this in the morning, especially seeing how she still did not trust him and the danger he exuded, but decided that at this point she really couldn't care less about the consequences of what she had just agreed to. "So…is that all? Are we in an agreement already?" she asked.

"No, not yet…first with have to seal it with something, you see," he pursed his lips, obviously thinking hard. Finally, he smiled – it was a slightly more genuine smile this time but it did absolutely nothing to soothe her nerves – and held out a hand, his pinkie outstretched. "Pinkie promise?'' he asked, sounding as innocent and carefree as a child, and hesitantly Miku hooked her pinkie together with his. He patted her head and yawned, suddenly seeming a lot more tired now that everything was over. ''Good girl.''

Walking over to her window, he turned back to look at her once more as she struggled to fight back waves of sudden drowsiness. "You'll have no nightmares tonight, miss, only good dreams. And you know who to thank for that," she saw him wink at her playfully, but she couldn't be too sure – her eyes were struggling to remain open, and she couldn't be sure if anything she saw really happened anymore. _Why am I suddenly so tired in my dream…is it his doing? Is the dream eater sending me to sleep already? _She didn't want to sleep – was so used to fighting waves of drowsiness every night – but this time, it seemed so strangely…irresistible. Something about this drowsiness that she couldn't fight off, no matter how hard she tried, how greatly she struggled…

The very last thing Miku saw before finally succumbing to the alluring pull of sleep was the _baku _jumping out of her window.


	2. Chapter 2

_You'll have no nightmares tonight, miss, only good dreams. And you know who to thank for that…_

Slowly, she roused herself from bed, stirring faintly as her eyelids struggled to open. In her semi-asleep state, her lips curved up into a faint, unconscious smile – it had been an extremely long time since she last had such a peaceful rest. She was tempted to succumb to the sleep again; anything to have a few more minutes of that blessed peace, the sleep that was for once, devoid of any nightmares. Her thoughts drifted back to what happened last night, and her smiled dimmed slightly, her eyes finally fluttering open.

_Was the __baku __who visited me last night real…or was he nothing more than just a dream? I really didn't have any nightmares, after all. But then __bakus __don't exist, they're nothing more than children's tales. It's hard to trust in the possibility that they're real._

Nightmare eaters were creatures of myth and legend. She used to believe in them when she was young – no matter how much she was told that they weren't real, that they didn't exist, she always believed it. But slowly, as she grew older and there was never any proof that such creatures really existed, she felt her belief slowly dwindling away. There was no such thing as a Sandman out to give sweet dreams to blissful children, and likewise there was no such thing as a _baku_. Perhaps what happened last night was simply her childhood resurrecting a once firm belief – a retreat from the nightmares?

Well, no matter what it was, no matter what had happened last night and whoever was responsible for her dreamless rest, she was grateful that it happened. It was a welcome break from the spate of nightmares she suffered from – the frequency of her bad dreams increased ever since Mikuo left for the other town two months ago. She pursed her lips, forcing her tired body up out of bed – she had to stop lazing around, there was school today and she would probably be late if she continued lying down here any longer.

Walking to the bathroom, she stumbled a little out of sleepiness, and instinctively her hand reached out to clutch on to her bedpost, the feeling of warm wood in her hand being surprisingly reassuring. She paused and realised that she was standing in the exact same spot the nightmare eater had been standing at last night, and hastily moved away from that area – even if he was a mere dream, the memory of the danger he exuded and the well-hidden maliciousness that lay underneath that charismatic smile unnerved her. She didn't want to have anything to do with him, not with someone so strange and unknown – not even if he was a figment of her dreams, her thoughts.

_Dark blue eyes, the colour of midnight…a wicked smile and a touch that burns, breath as cold as the winter night. _She blinked – the sudden reminder of what her dream looked like last night made her shiver, and she shook herself, cross at her reaction to her own imagination. _Yes, he's handsome…but he's just a dream, don't forget that, _she reminded herself. _It will do no good to think about a boy from a dream. _She wondered where she had seen him before, though. She read somewhere that people in dreams were usually people she saw in real life, perhaps in passing – but surely she would have recalled seeing someone as handsome as this boy before, no matter how fleeting an appearance?

No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't recall ever seeing this boy in her life.

* * *

><p>"Did you hear? There's a new student and he's really, really hot!"<p>

Miku ignored the excited, hushed babbling going on around her, nibbling absently on her cookie. That was just like the girls of her school – they were always out there, on the lookout for cute new guys. Quite frankly, they reminded her of vultures, constantly on the search for tender prey. She didn't want to take part in any of their fawning or stalking…or whatever it was they did to the new (male) students who were unfortunate enough to enrol in their school. She was pretty sure that any new kids would have enough problems navigating without a gaggle of hormonal schoolgirls trailing after him.

To tell the truth, Miku had been completely unaware that there was a new student in their class, and she would have remained blissfully oblivious if it wasn't for the fact that class gossip Neru Akita was chatting away loudly with her friends, right next to Miku's table. Miku would have preferred if the new kid was a girl, really. She was perfectly fine with conversing with girls; she could carry on a comfortable conversation with people of the same gender. With guys, not so much – there was a ninety percent chance that she would ignore the boy for the rest of the school term, unless it was absolutely necessary that she speak to him. To say that Miku didn't talk to boys was an understatement.

A familiar pink haired girl suddenly popped up in front of her, slamming her hands down onto Miku's table, wearing an unnaturally fierce glare – it didn't go well with her soft blue eyes, and Miku was not intimidated – she was, however, rather shocked. Luka Megurine rarely showed such displays of emotion. "Miku, did you hear?" she demanded, in a hushed whisper. "The new boy just arrived in school and oh my, he's so handsome," she sighed, her eyelashes fluttering in a girly way that most certainly didn't sync with the maturity Luka usually exuded. Miku gaped – coming from _Luka? _Who was absolutely obsessed (though she would never admit it) with a certain Gakupo Kamui?

She had to bring that up. "What about Gakupo?" she asked bluntly. At the very mention of the name, Luka blushed – there were few things that could ruffle the pink haired girl, and the name of her crush was one of those things. Miku would have found them rather cute if it wasn't for the fact they weren't _together _– and that was just because Luka was way too proud and stubborn to be the one to confess to the idiot. Given that Gakupo was pretty much denser than a brick wall, that spoke for how much their relationship was progressing – Miku would be surprised if they spoke more than a simple 'hello' to each other every time they passed each other in the hallway. _Oh, they're such idiots._

"I still like Gakupo, of course," Luka defended herself. "I'm loyal, and anyway Gakupo is really handsome. But this guy…his name is Len Kagamine, by the way," Luka said carefully, seeming to gauge Miku for some kind of reaction. There was none. Luka continued, looking slightly deflated that her best friend didn't seem to be interested or aware of whom she was talking about. "He's incredibly good-looking. I'm telling you, Len Kagamine takes 'hot' to a whole new level. I just saw him coming out of the principal's office, bet he was taking his schedule. He's so dreamy," she sighed blissfully. Miku shot Luka a droll look – this Kagamine was making Luka act very, very strange.

"He can't possibly be _that _good-looking," she said disbelievingly. The only way she would be impressed, quite honestly, was if the boy they were currently discussing was handsome enough to compare to the dream eater she had seen in her dreams last night – and she knew that was impossible. No one could be so ethereally handsome; no one could possible exude the same air of danger and sensuality that made the _baku _so unnaturally attractive. He had all the sensuality of a snake, and that both scared and mesmerised her – even now, she could not get the image of his eyes out of her head.

"You wait till you see him, Miku Hatsune. You will eat your words, I swear," Luka sighed again, fanning herself lightly. Miku resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Anyway, go with me to the toilet, won't you?" Luka grabbed Miku by the arm, and Miku grumbled a little before acquiescing to her friend's request. She had to wash the cookie crumbs off her fingers anyway – Miku was a little fussy about cleanliness, and simply wiping her fingers on tissue wouldn't be sufficient for her. The two of them left the classroom – there was no teacher in today, their teacher was sick and there was no relief teacher.

Luka was talking to her about something now, something to do with her aunt bringing her to the new mall that opened over the weekend, and Miku was listening to her, nodding whenever she thought appropriate, and because of that they were walking very, very slowly. But she thought Luka was taking things a bit too far when the pink haired girl actually slowed to a stop – Miku didn't realise Luka had stopped until a few steps later. She turned to face her friend – Luka was staring straight ahead, her blue eyes wide with what seemed to be shock. Faintly annoyed yet rather amused, Miku walked back to her friend, waving her hand in front of Luka's dazed expression.

"Earth to Luka Megurine?" she asked, snapping her fingers in front of those large blue eyes. Luka did not respond. "Hey, are you okay? You were telling me about your aunt buying this horrendous skirt that looked like your great-grandma's lampshade?" Miku was starting to get faintly worried. She had never seen her friend zone out like this before. Zoning out and daydreaming was more of Miku's forte rather than Luka's – Luka was the more down-to-earth one between them, and this was only the third time she had ever seen Luka in such a daze. And she had known Luka for a pretty long time.

"Miku, look," Luka suddenly whispered, her voice hushed – she sounded reverent, almost. Miku arched an eyebrow, about to ask 'at what?' but before she could, Luka grabbed her by the shoulders, spinning her around so that she was looking in the same direction as her. "It's the new kid, Miku!" she said excitedly, her voice still a whisper. Miku wanted to roll her eyes and spin back to lecture her friend about allowing herself to be so easily distracted by a mere boy – but then her gaze landed on the said boy, and her words died in her throat. She couldn't believe this – would not – it simply…couldn't be possible.

Darkish blond hair that shimmered under the light, catching the fluorescence and making it look almost silvery, tied back into a ponytail that rested low on the nape of his neck. Eyes the colour of the starless midnight sky, such a dark shade of blue that they almost seemed black – eyes that had stared into hers while laughing and whispering secrets she didn't understand. Chiselled jaw, handsome face, and a certain cocky air that said he knew he was handsome, and knew how to put those good looks to use – there was no mistaking who it was, and she both wanted and didn't want to believe that this was happening. He really did exist. He really had come to her last night…

The _baku _who had promised her a deal, and taken away all her bad dreams. As Miku stared at him, as helplessly mesmerised as her best friend but for very, very different reasons, the blond boy glanced up at her, his dark eyes meeting her gaze. He blinked, but other than recognition nothing else crossed his face – no surprise, no shock. With a suddenness that startled her, his blank face changed, and his lips curved up into a bright grin. He winked at her, a secret, private little gesture meant just for her, before he blew her a kiss – and, walking down the hallway and brushing casually past her and Luka, he turned the corner ahead and disappeared out of sight.

Instantly, Luka pounced on her. "Did the new guy – did Len Kagamine just blow a kiss at you?" Luka gasped in shock, shaking Miku by the shoulders in her desperate bid to find answers. Miku blinked, her arms flailing around wildly as her pink haired friend continued shaking her like a ragdoll. Honestly, she had rarely seen Luka act so agitated before, and wondered what strange effect Len Kagamine had on the female population, to be able to make them act in ways that were most unlike their usual selves.

"Luka…I'm…I'm going to be sick," she gasped out in between shakes, one hand reaching down to clutch on to her churning stomach. Instantly Luka let go of her, and she reached out to the wall to steady herself, feeling the contents of her stomach (that cookie she just had in class) threatening to make itself known all over the floor of the school. She didn't want to throw up in the hallway – it would be gross and just slightly embarrassing.

"Do you actually know Len Kagamine? Is that why you're not impressed by his looks or whatever?" Luka demanded, sounding disbelieving. "How do you know him? Why didn't you tell me that you know him?" the flurry of questions, in her dizzy state presently, was a little too much for her to handle, and she closed her eyes against the onslaught.

"I don't know who he is," she finally blurted out, opening her eyes again to see her friend hovering over her, expression somewhere between curiosity and concern. "He's just…I guess he's just being weird or something, how would I know? Maybe he's a player," she said weakly, not willing to tell the truth – that he was a nightmare eater who had come to her dreams last night, made an irresistible offer that she was beginning to wonder if she should have accepted. "All guys are weird. That's why I don't have a boyfriend."

After all, who would believe that Len Kagamine, who looked so utterly normal and human right now, would be a dream eater? A _baku_? _Those kind of things only exist in myths and tales…in dreams and nightmares. There is no such thing as a _baku. But he had just proved her wrong, hadn't he? Nevertheless, she didn't want to be seen as insane. Best to keep quiet about whom he really was for now – after all, there was no need for her to tell anyone the truth. Well…not for the time being, at any rate.

"Maybe he likes you!" Luka said conspiratorially, nudging her and shooting her a playful wink, which Miku tried her best to ignore. "Wouldn't it be cool if he did? Then he could be your first ever boyfriend," Luka giggled girlishly, again something that was very, very unlike Luka's usual behaviour. _The dream eater's presence in school is starting to make people act in very strange ways. _Miku just shook her head quickly in response to Luka's suggestion, not wanting to entertain that possibility – not when she was the only one who was aware of his true identity. Even though she had to admit he was handsome…

"Thanks, but no thanks. Len isn't my type," she declared. Luka shot her a look that said, clear as day, _how do you even have a type when you've never even liked a guy before? _"Well, you're welcome to him then, Luka," Miku added, this time a tad defensively. "I don't want to have anything to do with him – he has player written all over his face," she muttered, this one a semi-truth. Someone so handsome was bound to be a flirt, right?

"No thanks, I won't betray my crush," Luka said matter-of-factly, before dragging Miku on to their destination – the toilet. Miku realised with a start that they had been standing still in the hallway for at least five minutes already, and was thankful that no teacher had caught them out alone in the hallway without a pass – she didn't want to have to deal with possible detention when all they had wanted to do was go to the toilet. She eyed her friend curiously, wondering if Luka had always been secretly this girlish and well…immature, or whether it was just something good looks could bring out.

Underneath all that was a more pressing thought she didn't exactly want to consider – if the dream eater of her nightmares last night was real, what was he doing in her school?

* * *

><p>The dream eater's name, which really did happen to be Len Kagamine, licked his lips hungrily, tongue flicking out lightly to just wet his lips – nothing too obvious, he didn't want to be stared at. There were so many students daydreaming in their lessons that he knew he would have absolutely no problem finding sustenance throughout the day.<p>

Daydreams were dreams as well, after all, and as such he could use them to nourish himself, the same way he absorbed and fed on the nightmares of sleepers. The only difference between daydreams and night dreams, he mused, was that one occurred in the day while awake, while the other occurred at night, in the throes of deep sleep. Night dreams were more intense than daydreams, naturally. Sleep, true sleep, was a minor version of death. And nothing could be more raw and primal than death – nothing could provide the same fix of emotion and energy that death could provide, and sleep would be a close second if death could not be the first. Daydreams paled in comparison.

But he didn't think that he would need much sustenance today, not when he was still feeling rather full from last night. Last night, he feasted well – had absolutely gorged himself on nightmares. He never met someone with dreams quite as twisted and terrifying as Miku Hatsune's, and they had thrilled him the way no other mortal managed to before – there was a certain flavour to her dreams that was undeniably different from those of other humans, and that was starting to hook him. He wanted more of that specialness – craved something that would stand out in the eternal grey monotony of his life. She was a bright spark of fear, a single colour against monochrome.

_Sadly, I must admit that I crave and need more of this human's nightmares. I've never tasted dreams so delicious before, so filled with adrenaline and raw terror. It's rather a shock to the senses. _He pursed his lips, tapping his fingers lightly against the desk his hands were resting idly on – yes, he could safely say that in all his long, long years of existence, he had never run into another human whose dreams could even begin to compare to the sheer horror and emotion of her dreams. She was a special one; he was thankful that he stumbled across her last night. Who knew who else he might have lost this little gem to if he wasn't in the neighbourhood last night? He was a fortunate dream eater. Perhaps some god was, for once, looking favourably down upon him.

Len Kagamine was not a _nice _dream eater, at least not nice in the general sense of the word. He revelled in creating nightmares and causing insanity – he loved fear, loved giving and spreading fear and knowing that he was the cause of the look of terror upon his victims' faces. He loved to drain people until they were empty shells of themselves with little other than a mind and a barely-there soul. He would have done that to Miku already last night if it wasn't for the fact that she was different and special, that her dreams were unlike the usual run-of-the-mill kind of dreams he experienced.

Was that why other _bakus _feared him? He was known for being cruel and merciless, perhaps even playfully, childishly so. He was a nightmare _baku_, one of the darker ones who adored, fed off and was entertained by terror and darkness. He was cold and he was heartless – he embodied the monster under the bed, the shadows in the dark, he was everything that the humans feared because they didn't understand him and his strange desires. And humans were frightened of what they did not understand.

His fearsome reputation was one that was built up over centuries and centuries, and as such he was legend in the _baku _world – the nightmare eater whom even their own kind feared and avoided. How old was Len? He couldn't quite remember, it had been so long since he last thought about it. Perhaps five centuries, give or take a few decades – he couldn't be too sure. But he knew he was old, old enough to have learnt everything that was currently being taught in class, and the teacher in front was far from capable of retaining his attention. Yawning, Len let his consciousness drift out to the others.

_Let's see what Miku Hatsune is thinking about, shall we? It should be interesting._

She was paying attention to the class, or at least trying to – that would be the better term to use. Some part of her mind was still focused on him, and she was wondering what he was doing in her school, posing as a human no less. _He's a dream…I thought he was a dream, but he isn't. But why is he in my class? _That thought just repeated itself in her mind, and Len sighed softly, his lips curving up into an empty smile – well, he had yet to decide what it was he wanted from her in exchange for his services, so he would stick close to her until that time came. He didn't want to risk her slipping out of his fingers and being lost to another _baku_ – she was open until he decided the terms.

And there were other reasons, of course. He was simply bored. _Bakus_ were immortal, and they led long and dull existences – their worlds were painted black and white and grey, and there were no other colours. She was a different colour – teal, green, red? She was just different, and her presence brightened up the dull canvas of his life. He liked to observe her, the way she fidgeted around in her seat, aware that he was looking at her and clearly feeling very, very uncomfortable under his penetrating stare. She was a rather intuitive girl, he was realising – and that just made things more interesting.

He needed her as a distraction – _needed _distractions in general. After all, the boring grey canvas of a _baku's _life was…bluntly put, boring. It was a hell that was utterly inescapable, and the only way they even had an illusion of difference was when they went to the mortal world, meddling around in mortal affairs like what he was doing now. Miku served as a good distraction. She made him think of things other than his inner void, other than the long and unchanging path he had laid out before him – for the unending, eternal road that the _bakus _had, a road with no end, was quite enough to send someone into the spiralling chasm of insanity. He didn't want to end up insane. _Save insanity for the humans._

Miku Hatsune, this frail, scared little girl who seemed so easily breakable – he sensed the fragility in her soul that she tried so hard to hide – intrigued him. And when something intrigued the normally unemotional _baku_, he stayed. He would always stay to pique his curiosity, for curiosity was a strong and irresistible force, something like a drug to him…a drug that he took unwillingly. He would stay for her because he wanted to figure out everything there was to find out about her. He wanted to analyse her, pick her apart so thoroughly that her very soul was laid bare, before he put her back together again. He wanted to see raw soul and raw emotion, the very essence of her being.

He was still wondering what sort of deal he ought to enter into with her. Normally, when he made a bargain with a mortal, he would take something dear and precious to that person in exchange for his services – dear not in material sense, but sentimental. What need did he have for material goods when he was a _baku _and had no need for mortal possessions? What he wanted was _sentiment _and _emotion_, and to some people, giving such items up was worse than giving up their entire fortunes. He wondered what sort of person Miku would be, if she would value her money or her memories more. With her memories tainted with so much fear, would she perhaps gladly give up her sentiments to him? _But if she does that willingly, that wouldn't be fun anymore…_

Her nightmares were vivid and they satisfied him more than any other mortal. They kept him full, kept him sustained and strong. But they were also _strong, intense _nightmares, and they required more effort than he was used to giving to remove those dreams from her person. Since he required more effort to take away her nightmares, then surely he deserved a reward that was more than what he had demanded from previous contracts and mortals? A special case like hers needed special terms.

His gaze settled on the mortal sitting at the front of the class, her back ramrod-straight as she tried to ignore the piercing stare that was boring into her back. Her hair was long and straight, and it cascaded down her back in its untied state. He found himself staring at her hair and wondering if her hair would be as soft and silky to the touch as it looked. Her hair fascinated him; he had never seen someone with hair this colour before. It was a pretty teal colour, somewhere between emerald and ocean blue. He liked blue. She shifted again, and some of that long teal hair fell forward over her shoulder. Casually, almost unconsciously, her hand reached up to brush the locks of hair away. He was curious, and wondered if he ought to reach out one day and stroke that long hair aside.

_She's really pretty…for a mortal girl._

He had to admit, no matter how much he didn't want to, that he was curious about this mortal with the frail body and the tortured mind, and wanted to know if he could push her further into the chasm of darkness that haunted her – if she would scream and fall or fight back. He wanted to know what her limits were and how far he would be allowed to go before her mind shut him off entirely. He wanted to test her and see how different she truly was from the other mortals he met. Other mortals cracked barely one day after he started pushing them, taunting them while making them beg for more. Would she be any different, or would she be disappointingly like the rest of them, weak and helpless?

His lips twisted up into an almost genuine smirk. _I might just twist my curiosity about her into our deal._


	3. Chapter 3

"What the hell are you doing here?" the voice was familiar, though he had not heard it often before – only the one night he came to her and changed her life forever…

Len glanced up as someone stopped at his table, a little smirk gracing his lips as he realised this wasn't one of the numerous girls who had been trying to chat him up the whole day. He knew, even before looking, who it was – could tell from the intensity of the hissed words exactly who was speaking to him. Only someone with the most _emotional _of nightmares would be able to inject such intensity into those simple words.

Miku Hatsune stared right back at him, those pretty, wide green eyes filled with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. But she was right to suspect him – he knew he wasn't the most trustable of figures around. _Curiosity, though…_his eyes narrowed slightly as the thought flitted through his mind. _She's a curious child. And curiosity kills the cat, isn't that what the humans like to say? It's an apt description, one that dream eaters like well _– because there wasn't any other species who knew _exactly _how apt that saying was. This girl was curious about him underneath all that wariness, and that made things rather dangerous for her. Because, as everyone knew, Len Kagamine was _not _a nice _baku_.

"Why, am I not allowed to be here, Miss Miku?" her eyes widened as he spoke her name, and he realised belatedly that she had never actually revealed her name to him before, at least not outside of what she assumed to be a dream – and even then, she never told him. He just knew her name without her saying anything, because he was a dream eater and the realm of dreams and the night was what he lorded over. Now that she was aware that he was no longer a mere dream, she would pay what he said more attention, and he would have to be careful to avoid letting her know how omniscient he truly was. That was a little slip; he wouldn't make such a mistake again. "It pains me that you would treat an old friend this way," he widened his blue eyes in feigned hurt.

Instantly, the girl spluttered, backing away from him slightly. "You are _not _my friend, _baku_," she hissed, this time sounding a little cross. She was glancing warily around the whole classroom while they spoke – clearly trying to avoid attracting attention and failing spectacularly to do so. The very fact that she came to him to talk to him was causing plenty of whispers – he was a new student here, and even if he had not been extraordinarily handsome people would have noticed him, been curious about him. And now that Miku Hatsune, the girl who seemed to be completely apathetic about the opposite sex, was talking to _him_…well, he knew that would raise a few eyebrows.

"Shh," Len cautioned when she said the word _baku_, raising a finger to his lips, though his lips curved up into a subtle smirk underneath his finger. "You really shouldn't accuse me of being anything other than a human boy just like you, Miku. You don't want people to think that you're _insane _now, do you?" he leant his head on his arm, lazily looking up at her. She was staring down at him, some sort of emotion struggling to make itself known on her pretty face. She seemed to have completely no idea how to communicate with him, but that was not surprising. Poor girl probably didn't know what she had gotten herself into. Ah, but that wasn't something he had to care about – he was only here to satisfy his own ends, and if she got dragged along with him…that wasn't his fault.

Finally, the teal haired girl opted to feel angry, and that entertained him – anger was a volatile emotion, but in the face of the unknown, it was a safe choice – best to feel anger so that you wouldn't feel scared, that was what the others always said. He wouldn't know since he never got angry. "Why are you in my school, of all places, and posing as a human boy?" she asked, her voice sharp and cutting. It was a no-nonsense kind of tone, and it left him certain that if he tried to mess around with her any longer she would just stomp away from his table, right there and then. And he didn't want her to leave so soon – she was the most entertaining thing that had occurred in his entire school day so far.

He rose from his chair, towering over her – she was a tiny creature, just slightly over his shoulder when he stood next to her. She blinked, obviously a little taken aback by how much taller he was than her, but she stood her ground and refused to back off, and he had to admit that he respected her a little more for that. "What makes you think that I am _posing _as a human boy, Miku?" he whispered, leaning close to her so that their little conversation was intimate, so she knew everything he said was meant for her ears, and her ears only. "How are humans and _bakus_ all that different, really?" he asked slyly.

"You…your kind…you're not supposed to exist!" Miku blinked, apparently unsure of what else to say. Perhaps he was too close to her. He knew best the kind of effect he could cause in girls. The whole class was looking now, and he didn't really want to get their attention – but with Miku down here being all awkward and clearly unsure about what to do, making herself so easy to target, it was making it difficult for him to not let loose the full force of his charm – he could be very seductive if he wanted to be, and that tended to attract a lot of attention. It had been a long, long time since he last played around with any girl. As a dream eater, emotion and dreams still attracted him more than looks – but he knew that in the human world, being able to unnerve and toy with someone was a sign of power, and he was making full use of that knowledge.

"And why am I not supposed to exist, my dear?" he asked candidly, the words coming out as a soft purr. "Is it just because I'm a story, a myth, a legend made up to send little children to bed at night?" she didn't say anything in response to that, but the mutinous light in her green eyes revealed that she did, indeed, think that way. _How disappointing. _"Just because I'm a story doesn't mean that I don't exist, Miku. Have you never thought about it? That every single legend has a ring of truth to it, smoke cannot exist without a fire and all that kind of other sayings you humans have. If there was no such thing as a _baku_," he leant closer to her, and she flinched, drawing back instinctively, "then where do you think the stories came from? We're just better at hiding than you think."

She gasped, her eyes widening in what seemed to be shock. Len looked around the class – most of the students were looking at them still, though some of them had turned away, evidently becoming bored when neither Len nor Miku had kissed the other yet. He was rather amused by their expectations – hormonal teenage students and their longing for love and romance, something that he would never quite understand. It had been, after all, five hundred years since he felt the twinge of adolescence. He might _look _like a teenager, but that certainly didn't mean he thought like one, or was one for that matter. He could actually look like a wizened old man if he wanted to, wanted being the key word. He didn't want to sacrifice his looks when they helped him so much.

"We…?" she echoed faintly. "So there's more than one of you?" the question was hushed, her tone disbelieving – she made it sound like having more than one dream eater around was a bad thing, and he did not know whether that was supposed to amuse or annoy him. He couldn't be sure – half the time, he never got the correct emotional response to a situation anyway. "How many _bakus_ are there?" her words were faint, like she was struggling to accept that there was more than one of him, and that her old belief was not a lie – that dream eaters did exist and there was a great deal more than she thought there were. _Bakus _had always been there – they just never had any need to show themselves to the humans they were involved with. Why would they have to?

"There are thousands of us…millions, maybe. I don't know. There are so many…it's been so long since I actually went to a gathering that I can't be sure," Len shrugged, watching her carefully for a reaction. She looked ashen. "But of course there are many of us. There are so many humans. We are your _dream gods¸ _in a way. We are the ones who control and regulate the dreams of humans, and of course just one god wouldn't be enough to look out for the billions of you whom exist on this earth, would it?" he shrugged. She stayed mute, and he reached up, tapping the side of her head lightly – she flinched in response, and he felt it. "Never disregard myths and legends, Miku. Most of them are a lot, lot more real than you ever could have imagined…but for good reason."

After a few seconds of stunned silence, she abruptly shook her head, a determined light suddenly entering her eyes. He could not bring himself to feel startled by the sudden shift of emotion – she recovered surprisingly quickly, didn't she? "Well, fine, dream eaters exist then," she conceded. "But let's put that aside. You still haven't told me why you're in my school, pretending to be a human boy! Do you even look like…well, look like _this_," her gaze raked him up and down, eyeing him carefully, and he knew she was being reluctantly attracted to his physical form, "in real life? Or is it just some shell?"

Len was slightly annoyed by that. "Of course I look like this," he said flatly. "_Bakus _do have a physical form, you know. We aren't born as ethereal beings without corporeal bodies. I do look like this, I was born looking like this, do you want me to find my baby photos for you?" he wondered at the biting sarcasm he could hear oozing out from his voice, and wondered how he was suddenly capable of being so volatile – the energy he received from her dreams last night must have nourished him even more than he thought it did. She didn't appear affected by his biting tone though, her green eyes narrowing at him not in anger but what seemed to be even more suspicion.

"You're evading the question," she said bluntly. This girl was like a _bulldog_ – she simply would not let go of whatever she had in her jaws at the moment, and she wasn't going to let him off till he answered her, he was sure. But the reason why he was at her school…it was not something he was willing to tell her at the moment. _Still, if I tell her that I have a reason and I can't let her know the reason, it just makes me look even more suspicious and it wouldn't be fun anymore if she found out why. _If there was one thing Len Kagamine cared about, even more than his reputation, it would be his entertainment. Dream eaters had monotonous lives, after all. Entertainment was difficult to come by.

"What question?" he asked innocently, blinking at her. "I answered you, didn't I? You asked me if this was my true form – I told you it is, what more do you want?" inwardly, he grinned – he knew this would frustrate her. Miku was one of those interesting humans – with fascinating thoughts and incredible dreams, and extremely easy buttons to press. He knew the perfect way to annoy her – someone as curious as her would hate it when she didn't receive straight answers to her questions. That mixture of potency and irritability was what made her so magnetically appealing to him.

"I meant the other question! Why are you here?" she bit out, folding her arms across her chest. She had never, ever seen someone as…as _irritating_ as this _baku_. Len Kagamine's angelic looks belied the taunting nature the boy really had, and she supposed that was appropriate – if he had a heart of gold as well she probably would have ended up even more wary of him, because then he would have seemed too good to be true. That was not something she could control. A whole lifetime of loss and betrayal had led to her being unwilling to trust in the goodness of Man – it was not true that everyone was born good, and she supposed that applied to dream eaters as well. The boy shrugged.

"Oh, you mean that question," he said easily, midnight blue eyes meeting hers – she resisted the urge to shiver when that penetrating gaze captured hers. She felt like he could see right into her soul. Could dream eaters do that, look into the very soul and essence of a person? If he could explore her dreams, then perhaps he could do that, she did not know and she did not want to know. "Well…I have a reason to be here, but I'm afraid that I'm not willing to divulge that reason, so you can keep wondering about it," he smiled, an almost gentle smile, and she did not trust that look in the slightest.

Miku doubted that she would be able to get anything substantial out of the _baku_ – he was extremely stubborn, she could feel that just by talking to him, and she knew that no matter how much she fumed or wheedled or complained she would not be able to budge him at all. Giving up, she went back to her seat – she could feel him smirking at her retreating back – and plopped herself down, glaring straight ahead. Why wasn't their teacher in class yet? The five minute break was already over. She just wanted something to listen to, something to distract her from the piercing eyes trained on her back.

"So, what did you talk to Len Kagamine about?" Luka leant over from the seat next to her, her blue eyes wide with fervent excitement, pink hair falling over her shoulder. "I thought you said you didn't know him? But he hasn't spoken that much to anyone else in our class before! Are you sure you don't really know him?" the questions came in rapid succession, and Miku sighed, not really in the mood to put up with the interrogation right now. Yes, Luka was her best friend and all, but there were times when Miku did not feel like speaking to anyone at all – and right now was one of those times.

"We didn't talk about anything," she said absently, her tone rather unfocused. "Just…just something," she tried to say evasively. Luka's blue eyes narrowed, clearly able to tell that Miku was keeping something from her, but also knowing that the teal haired girl was not in the mood to talk and that if she probed any further she might get lashed at. So Luka went back to her seat, shooting her curious looks every once in a while, as Miku stared straight ahead at the blank whiteboard and gnawed nervously on the cap of her ballpoint pen. Through it all, a now-familiar, piercing gaze bored into her back. It never left her, even when the teacher stepped in, even when the teacher left, even when she rose from her chair to ask for permission to go to the toilet – it never left her.

She wondered what he wanted, why he kept looking at her that way. He definitely was not here for the education system – he was a _baku_ and he didn't exist in the mortal world, that much he had implied in their short conversation (could it really be a conversation when he infuriated her so much?) just now, so there would not be any need for him to know about human history, would there? Besides, she guessed that he already knew all that. If he was a dream god, a _god_, then he ought to know, right? Since gods were omniscient; or at least that was what she assumed. She was wary of just assuming now, ever since he told her not to take myths and legends at face value.

Would Len Kagamine return to her tonight and give her the sweet dreams he promised to? Last night, all he did was take away the dreams – she was assuming that he did influence her dreams last night – and she was left with undisturbed slumber. Tonight, she was curious if he would actually give her the nice dreams that she so desired – she could not remember what it was like to have a pleasant dream, because all she could remember were the scary ones, the nightmares. How would he give her a nice dream?

Though she could not deny that having a dreamless sleep was surprisingly nice, she wanted to have sweet rest. It felt so unreal, such a possibility. It had been so long since she last had a nice dream – the only one she could ever remember having had was back when her parents were alive, years ago. It was a dream about celebrating her birthday. And she remembered that one week after her dream, just one day before her birthday her parents died in a car crash. _Is that a reason why I don't have sweet dreams…if I dream of something pleasant again, will bad luck befall me? _It was a possibility that was terrifying for her, but at the same time she couldn't help but crave for such a dream.

_Oh, someone is hungering for sweet dreams, isn't she? You're a greedy child, little one. All right, but if that is what you want, it is what you will receive._

Miku jerked up in her seat, startled by the foreign voice which had invaded her personal thoughts. It was a strange sensation, hearing someone else speak in her head, and she couldn't tell if she could tolerate it or if she disliked it entirely. It felt like an intrusion of privacy, and that was not something she was partial to. The eyes she had felt on her the whole day were suddenly gone, and she twisted around in her chair, searching the class for that piercing stare. She found the dream eater reclining in his seat, all the way at the back of the class – he was looking out of the window. The moment she glanced at him, those dark blue eyes shifted back to meet hers, and she stiffened, feeling trapped.

He smirked, capturing her gaze – somehow, she could not look away, no matter how hard she tried. _You're not insane, my dear – though you would be hard pressed convincing someone of that, given the way you behave at times, _his voice snaked through her mind again. _Yes, that's me. Yes, I'm talking to you in your mind. Dream eaters have a very handy ability; we can communicate with others mentally and we can read your thoughts unless you're specially trained to block out intrusive forces. It is rather useful; I liked reading your thoughts during lessons. How's that lemon meringue recipe coming along, Miku?_

Miku gritted her teeth. _Oh god, get out of my head, _she spat at him venomously. She really, really did not like it when her private space was intruded upon, and she was pretty sure that her mind constituted a private space. _Do you not understand the concept of personal space? Go back to your dreamland or wherever the hell it is dream eaters like to stay in. Or go read Neru Akita's mind if you like distractions, she's full of gossip. _Miku was rarely so biting, but she really did not like being invaded by outside forces – again the product of a cold and rather traumatic childhood. She could put up with a lot of things, but not with someone who did not respect that she needed some space that was hers, and hers alone – she didn't want to share everything she was thinking with others.

There was an answering sigh in her mind, a sigh that sounded remarkably disappointed – she still had not looked away from him though, and his eyes looked anything but sad – on the contrary, she had never seen someone looking so amused before. _Oh my, how aggressive of you. I'm quite terrified. But then I do adore danger and fear – I'm a nightmare eater, remember?_ The smirk on his face widened slightly_. __I quite like it here, this mind of fright and terror – I think I shall stay on here a little more…_his voice faded.

"Miku Hatsune!" the teacher's voice rang out through the classroom, and Miku jumped in her seat, immediately turning around to face the front of the classroom. Her teacher was glaring stonily at her, and she swallowed, suddenly nervous – their History teacher was the fiercest teacher they had, and judging from the way he was eyeing her now, she was pretty sure she was going to end up in trouble. "I know that the new Kagamine kid is attractive to you girls, but did you come to school to study or to ogle at boys?" he asked snappishly. Miku flushed, ignoring the titters of the class girls – she was embarrassed enough that she was caught staring at him, no need to react to the girls.

She knew Len Kagamine was laughing with the rest, and she wanted to dislike him – but she could not. In those seconds they locked gazes, when she simply could not tear her eyes away no matter how much she tried, she had looked deep into his expression and seen how, underneath the cocky front he put on, underneath the taunting and malicious playfulness, there was something _empty _about him – something that was almost sad yet didn't have the…the depth of sadness. There was something about him that was lacking, and she found that she simply could not dislike someone who was not…complete?

She could feel the eyes trained on her back narrowing. She didn't know how she felt it, perhaps it was intuition, but the emotions behind the sharp gaze had seemed to shift from amusement to something more like irritation. She guessed he must have read her thoughts, and didn't quite like the observation she just made. She wondered why.

* * *

><p>The school day was rather boring today, just like it was every day. She struggled to stay awake in her lessons, the heat of the afternoon sun making her long to drowse off, but she couldn't afford to fall asleep – she didn't want to be caught by the teacher, and there was a pretty high chance she would get caught since she was sitting right at the front. She wondered sometimes why she was so stupid to sit at the front of the classroom…but more so than the fear of being caught was the prickly sensation of being watched.<p>

It was extremely annoying, feeling his presence in the classroom and knowing that he was there for a reason – a reason that she suspected involved her but she didn't know what it was specifically, and she probably wouldn't know because he simply refused to tell her _anything. _What was even more irritating than his taunting silence was the fact that the girls in class would not stop fawning over him. It wasn't that she was jealous or anything like that (gross) but she hated how they made themselves seem so pathetic in front of him. He was probably laughing at all of the girls and how they acted towards him. _Come on, he's a _baku, she thought savagely. _He isn't a human, and there's probably no way he would ever be interested in a human. _But she couldn't just say that he wasn't mortal, people would probably think that she had finally gone absolutely bonkers.

And anyway, given how determined, and slightly superficial, the girls in her class were, even if they did know he wasn't a human that probably wouldn't stop them from trying. There was one girl in class, after all, who had dumped her boyfriend of eight months just for another guy whom she decided was a lot better-looking and had spent more money on chasing her than the other guy (who was a total sweetheart, in Miku's opinion, though that might just be because he was the friend of a distant cousin so she somewhat knew him, more than the supposedly better-looking guy. Plus she didn't have the most reliable of tastes, since she never had a boyfriend before. But did that really matter?).

Her eyes trained on the clock, she knew there was less than a minute to go before the bell signalling the end of the last period rang, and she started packing up her books. She had just finished stuffing her pencil case in her bag when the bell rang, right on the dot – instantly, the girls in class sprang out from their seats and swarmed Len Kagamine, who despite looking faintly uncomfortable, just smiled charmingly and let them surround him, lapping up the attention. Miku cast the table a glance and rolled her eyes, rising from the chair and shoving it savagely against her table. It made a loud clattering sound that caught the attention of absolutely _no one, _and she rolled her eyes again, irritated.

She gritted her teeth. "Those girls are idiots…and he's an even bigger idiot," she muttered to herself, not wanting to have anything to do with the _baku_ and his horde of admirers. She had better things to do with her time. Shouldering her bag, she looked around for Luka – and saw her pink haired friend hovering near the swarm, seeming to contemplate between leaving the area and joining the girls in trying to talk to him. Miku blinked, shocked by the fact that her best friend was even _considering _behaving like the rest of the girls in class – _what on earth is the world coming to? _That was it, she had to leave the class before she did anything rash – but the last thing she felt, right before she stepped out of that room, was once again those blue eyes, lingering on her back…

Now, she was studying in the library, where it was a whole lot more peaceful than the cafeteria – and where a certain dream eater would not be, bringing his surrounding group of hangers-on with him. She angrily scribbled over her math working while she thought that, still irritated with those girls and how easy they made themselves out to be. He probably thought that all mortals were like that now, easily pleased and with absolutely no backbone of their own. She just hoped that he wouldn't think the same thing of _her _– if he thought she was going to fawn over him, well he should think again.

And suddenly, she felt cool hands grip her shoulders, icy breath brushing against the back of her neck – breath that was colder than even the air conditioning trained directly on her. She jumped, unable to help herself, but she was perfectly aware of who was the one currently standing behind her, peering at the algebra homework that she was failing miserably at doing. "You're supposed to square both sides of the equation before you try to solve it. Weren't you paying attention in class?" he asked, voice lilting.

She fixed her gaze squarely on the sheet of paper before her, not wanting to look up and face him or have to acknowledge him. He was right though, she realised blatantly, and proceeded to do as he said. He let out an audible sigh, and she suddenly felt a finger placed lightly on her chin – swiftly, he tilted her head, making her look backwards so that she was staring right at him. Her heart stopped – in fear or out of anger, she did not know. She stared straight at him, and he looked at her, his expression solemn, but with that spark of mischief and amusement still glimmering there, somewhere in his midnight eyes…they reminded her of stars in the night sky, those emotions. It was the only thing that made his eyes not seem as eternally and dangerously dark as they were.

"My dear, dear mortal Miku…" a corner of his lips tilted upwards, but was that dark humour genuine? She could not be sure. "Were you jealous just now, I wonder?" he asked plaintively. "You know I would never give any of them a second glance or even a chance to get near to me. They don't interest me in the slightest," the dismissiveness in his tone unnerved her a little, "but you…you interest me greatly. You're the only reason why I'm even in this school, you know," he whispered, leaning down so that she could feel his freezing cold breath against her ear. She flinched. His words were cold.

"No, don't think so highly of yourself. What would I feel jealous for?" she retorted, her gaze flitting away from him – it wasn't because she was lying or she had a guilty conscience or anything, because she really was not attracted to the _baku _despite his good looks – he was too dangerous, he was too mysterious for her, and she didn't like that. She didn't want someone who seemed so secretive and let her know so little about him. The reason why she looked away was because his gaze was so piercing, and she couldn't bear to look into that gaze for any longer than a few seconds each time. She was scared that he would strip her bare to her soul with his eyes alone, and she didn't want that. She wasn't prepared to reveal so much of herself to a total, complete stranger.

"Oh, really now…? I don't know, Miku," he sounded conspiratorial, "you seemed to be rather displeased with all the attention I was getting. And it didn't seem to be because I was entertaining them, because you and I both know that I'm not interested in mortal girls like them, hm?" his fingers caressed her cheek. She found that she couldn't move. "Anyway, you asked for sweet dreams tonight, did you not? So sweet dreams you will have. Keep your window unlocked for me, and I will come…not that something as simple as a locked window can keep me out," he scoffed, "but it would be much less troublesome. We don't want to keep you away from your desires for long now, do we?"

Then swiftly, before she could say anything in retort, he leant down – his lips brushed lightly against hers, just a quick, fleeting kiss – no, it was so fast that she couldn't call it a kiss, it was scarcely anything more than a brief meeting of their lips, grazing past each other so fast that it left behind no impression. Before she could bring herself to react to him doing that, however, he released her and turned around, walking away from the library, so quietly and unobtrusively that she could almost swear that he had never been there at all. Dazedly, she lifted her fingers to her lips – her lips were still cold, though cold from the air conditioning or cold because of his lips, she did not know. He had…she shivered, and didn't know why. She no longer felt any cold.

_Did Len Kagamine…did he just kiss me?_


	4. Chapter 4

Miku waited at the window for Len Kagamine to come. She felt so nervous, and had good reason to – he was a dangerous unknown, and of course that made her nervous.

But there were other reasons. She wondered if he would really show up, like how he said he would. Or was he playing a sick joke on her or something? How would she know? He seemed to find humour and amusement in the strangest things, such as her annoyance and anger. He would probably think that promising her he would come tonight and remove her nightmares, and failing to turn up, would be some kind of hilarious prank…if he did, she would kill him, though that was provided that dream eaters could die in the first place. Anything to do with her dreams meant a lot to her.

"Did you miss me? You seem…eager," a familiarly sensuous voice snaked through the room, and she whirled around, away from the window, her heart suddenly beating erratically in her chest. There stood the damnably handsome _baku_, and he was standing surprisingly close to her – his midnight eyes were right in front of her, and if he stepped any closer to her their lips would have touched. Her cheeks heated just slightly, she could feel the warmth rushing to her face – his proximity was making her remember the fleeting kiss…brush of their lips…just this afternoon. _Did that mean anything to him? What was he even thinking, doing that to me? _Her thoughts were savage, enough to surprise even herself. She wondered why she had such a big reaction to what he did.

"No, not…not eager," she stammered, unable to stop herself from stumbling over her words – he was standing much, much too close to her for her comfort. "I was just wondering if you would really turn up like how you said you would," she looked away from him. "I almost thought you wouldn't come. It's already midnight," she said, a little snappishly. It wasn't that she was angry at him or anything like that – she was trying so hard to keep her calm, but his presence and those eyes, that sense of danger she always got when he was standing near to her, made her feel on edge. She couldn't relax and she couldn't shove him away, so the only thing she could do was get defensive.

"I prefer midnight over all other hours," he shrugged, sounding remarkably blasé. Was it a statement he had made before? "It's the best time of the night, don't you think? The threshold between yesterday and tomorrow," his eyes gleamed with some sort of intent. She didn't know what he was thinking. "Anyway, we're not here to discuss my nocturnal habits. Do you not wish for sweet dreams, Miss Miku?" he asked, his voice lowering to become silky smooth – she could feel herself being lulled into his voice, something so hypnotic and mesmerising about his words that she would have done anything he said… "I seem to remember you asking me for that," he whispered, a tantalising desire.

"I…I want sweet dreams," she didn't want to sound like she was pleading, but her words came out as so. His voice was indeed mesmerising, and she would have done anything he asked her to if she wasn't still feeling rather defensive about his near proximity. "I don't want to think of all the bad things, but I want to remember what it's like – to wake up from my sleep feeling happy instead of simply refreshed, or downright terrified. You can…you can make that happen, can't you?" she asked, wanting to believe it, wanting to double check so that she could be certain what she was getting herself into. It seemed so impossibly easy that he could give her what she wanted, just like that, if she asked him to – nothing in this world ever came by so easily. _But that's why he wants to make a deal with me, isn't it? What was that he said…we all must pay a price for hiring services, even cleaning services…? But he has yet to tell me what it is that he wants from me, and that's why I'm frightened. _Because honestly, who liked dealing with the unknown?

"You asked me for that, and what you asked for, it is done – sweet dreams are the only dreams you will have tonight, those and nothing else," he said simply. "But in exchange, I must be paid for what I do, must I not?" he asked, and this time the words were sly. She swallowed, a little sceptical – how could it all be so easy? Her nightmares had been a constant part of her past, something that was so large in her life that they seemed to be almost permanent, a very part of her being. Yet he said that he could remove them, just by _saying _so – why did he make it all seem so easy? She almost couldn't believe him.

"Well…have you decided what you want from me, then?" she asked suspiciously. _What exactly could a dream eater want from a mortal like me? It's not like I have anything special to give him. I hate being so uncertain, being stuck in this limbo between knowing and not knowing. He should really hurry up and come up with his terms and conditions already. _She hoped he wouldn't ask for anything she would not be willing to let go of – though she honestly wasn't too sure what she would want to hold on to, in her life. If he wanted her memories, she would give those up gladly. If he wanted her material goods, he could take them – she did not long for money or popularity. If he wanted her body, then…somehow she doubted he would want anything like that, so she cast that aside.

"Unfortunately, no, I haven't," the _baku _shrugged gracefully. "However, what I want from you right now is another promise, another reminder – that when the time comes and I finally decide upon what I wish to take, then you will surrender it to me without any hesitation, no questions asked either," he tilted his head, smiling charmingly at her. She got the sense that this was something she could not say no to – but then, she had not been able to deny him anything ever since she got herself stuck in such a situation. Again, perhaps entering into a bargain with someone like him was not the best decision she had ever made. But since when had she been known for making good choices?

"I can promise that," she replied, her words a little halting as her uncertainty weaved its way through her voice. "But how do you want me to seal it – another pinkie promise?" she asked, suddenly recalling the strangely childish way they had closed the bargain last night. He looked at her steadily, and suddenly he laughed – it was not a mocking laugh, as she thought it would be, but it was a laugh of sheer joy and entertainment. _Why is he laughing like that, did I say something wrong? _Perhaps he was amused that she was just pandering to his interests, she didn't know. Who understood the thoughts of the male population, especially when said male wasn't even of the same species as her?

"No, no…that was last night, and that was a different promise, you see," he shook his head slowly, taking one step closer to her – instinctively, she backed away, towards the window, and immediately wished that she had not taken that step back. Behind her, a wind gusted through, and suddenly the windows slammed closed. She looked back quickly, startled – before her very eyes, the catch swung and locked the windows shut. She looked back at the dream eater, her eyes wide – his gaze shifted from the window back to her, and she was aware that it was his doing. "Seal this promise with a kiss?" he asked, his voice getting that hypnotic quality again, so soft and so alluring…but then she realised what he just said, and she shook herself out of the trance he was putting her in.

She didn't quite know how to react – to scoff, to gasp in outrage, to swoon and fall forward into his arms? For she could not deny that he was a handsome boy, and to want to be kissed by him made her feel slightly more desirable – and finally settled for folding her arms across her chest, her eyes narrowing slightly at him. "You already got your kiss this afternoon in the library," she reminded him, her cheeks once again warming at the very memory – though she would not call that a proper kiss. Still, he had gotten more intimate with her than other strangers would be allowed to, and she wanted him to know that he would not be allowed to go any further with her. She was no pushover.

"This afternoon…? How was that a kiss?" he scoffed, taking another step closer – now she was trapped between him and the window, yet she did not dare to press herself back against the glass – she didn't want to break it. He was dangerously close now. "That was barely even intimate. Nothing more than a brush of the lips…you could call it an accident, in fact," he smiled, though that smile held no humour in it. Tonight, he was not dressed in the same attire as last night – tonight he was dressed in simple jeans and a shirt, and he looked like any other boy. Any other abnormally handsome boy, that was.

"What do you consider a kiss then?" she blurted out, trying desperately to stall for time and figure a way out of having to kiss him – because she _did not want _to kiss him. _Ugh, he's ridiculous! Why does he keep insisting on having to seal promises with stuff, isn't just agreeing to whatever he says sufficient for him? _Her thoughts were slightly more filled with angst than usual, and she was fast realising that there was a positive relationship between her levels of irritation and his presence – the nearer he got to her, the more annoyed she became. If he touched her, she would probably combust in her irritation.

His empty smile became seductive at her words, which she was belatedly realising had sounded rather challenging – and she didn't think he could resist a challenge, especially not when it came from her. _I think I will regret this_. "Do you want to find out, then?"

Before she could protest against what she suspected he was going to do, he leant close to her, one of his fingers reaching out to tilt her head upwards. Her words died in her throat when those blue eyes met hers, challenging her to struggle. She was rooted to the spot, and her heart thrummed in her chest as she wondered why she could not seem to force herself to move. She wanted to run away, but at the same time she wanted to stay and see what he would do. He leant down, towards her, giving her time to withdraw from him if she wanted – it was a cruel thing to do, because she couldn't pull away.

When their lips met, she had to resist a soft moan – it wasn't that she enjoyed the feeling of his lips on hers or anything like that, but it felt like the long-awaited fulfilment of her anticipation, and that satisfaction was undeniable. His lips were soft and firm, and a vague part of her mind noted that she had just lost her first kiss, if one did not count the afternoon one to be a kiss, to someone who wasn't even _human _– but the larger part of her mind was just stunned, and she wasn't sure if she ought to struggle away or not. He was unknown, and that made things so difficult – what if she pulled away and he refused to take away her nightmares? Would he renege on his word if she ever displeased him?

Throughout the kiss, Miku kept her lips firmly compressed, not knowing what will happen, and not wanting to know what either, if she ever let her lips part. Finally, Len withdrew from her, and for a fleeting second she missed the taste of his lips – the dream eater had a very distinctive taste that was…that reminded her of mint and frost, and made her think of winter days and cold winds. But that wasn't to say that the whole experience was unpleasant – he was decisive and he had applied just enough pressure for her to _feel _it, but not so much that she felt uncomfortable. She blinked up at him, not knowing if she ought to slap him or reach up and rub her mouth. Or just do nothing.

"You know, actually, that wasn't a kiss either," he said candidly. "A kiss ought to be so much, much more. But I'll let that pass for now," he blinked innocently at her, a wicked light in his blue eyes, and she suddenly got the feeling that she wasn't going to like whatever was about to come out of his mouth next. "That was your first kiss, wasn't it?" he asked her, his voice as sickly sweet as honey. Her cheeks warmed – she didn't want to let him know anything about that, so her first reaction was just to lie, lie and lie.

"No, it wasn't," she scowled defensively, folding her arms across her chest in a bid to appear more casual than she actually was. It was embarrassing enough that he had kissed her; there was no need for him to know that he had taken her first ever kiss as well. As if the _baku_ had not taken away enough from her…she still had no idea what he wanted from her in return from his help, and this uncertainty loomed over her like a death sentence, making her feel fidgety around his presence, and even when he was not there. It was like a heavy weight, invisible to all but her, and the burden was almost becoming too much for her to bear. When would he take the load away from her?

"Right…whatever you say," he looked unconvinced. "Now, now, go to sleep. It's late," he was smiling, a Cheshire cat-like smile that didn't reassure her in the slightest, "and it's time for little human children like you to go to sleep," his voice had a certain sing-song quality that made her think of a lullaby…though the nightmare eater was nowhere near as soothing, of course. "Come now, go to bed," he pushed her towards her bed, and she moved without resistance – before she knew it, he had her tucked in, blankets wrapped tightly around her, and he was towering over her on the bed, that smile still on his face.

"Tonight, you will have nothing but sweet dreams. _Bonum nocte puella._" With those three words – she didn't understand what he had said, it sounded like some olden European language – she felt sudden waves of sleepiness crashing upon her, even more lulling than the sleepiness she had felt last night. She could not struggle against it, nor did she want to, and she let her eyes close as she succumbed to the call of dreams.

Len remained in the room and watched her, curious about the sleeping girl with the teal hair. She had so many layers, so many secrets. He wanted to know all those secrets, wanted to slowly peel her apart layer by layer so that he alone would be the one to know her entirely – would figure out the source of her emotions and what made her so unique. Then he would remake her; build her in someone like his image so that she would be stronger. She was fascinating enough to make him _not _want to destroy her, and instead he would make her hardier, better. But he had to know her secrets first.

Secret dreams that she herself was unaware of, for they were so deeply buried within.

* * *

><p>She was sitting in the middle of a flower field. It felt nice – the sun was perfectly warm, the flowers smelled lovely and there were birds singing, though she could not see them. It was remarkably pleasant. She recalled this meadow – she had come here for a picnic once, with her family when she was really, really young…perhaps a few years old?<p>

"Flowers are really beautiful, delicate little things, aren't they? They kind of remind me of you, actually. But I don't know who's more fragile, you or them…because even the loveliest rose has thorns to protect itself, while you have absolutely nothing."

At the sound of the foreign voice, she twisted around, surprised but not entirely shocked when she saw Len Kagamine approaching her, his footsteps so light that the grass didn't seem to register his weight. He left behind no trail. His face was, for once, serious, as he looked down at a daisy he was holding in his hand. She wasn't quite sure if he was talking to her or to the daisy he was clutching. He was so strange – perhaps the flower was what he was talking to, how would she know? But she wanted to know one thing.

"Len…" her words trailed off, and she wondered how to phrase her question. She decided to go for the most straightforward approach – she was not a _baku_, and didn't know how to play the same word games Len Kagamine did. "What are you doing in my dream?" she asked plaintively. At the sound of her voice, Len looked up from the daisy, something almost like surprise flitting across his face – surely he had not been unaware that he was in her dream, she did not believe that he did not know. He was a dream eater and he was the one who had given her this dream, so he definitely knew that she was here. But why was _he_ here, intruding once again on her private space?

"Well, I'm a _baku_," he answered, as if that alone was enough to account for everything. She continued staring at him, waiting for further explanation, and he sighed, running his fingers through his hair – his blond hair caught the sunlight in the meadow and sparkled golden. It looked like finely spun gold, and she felt the sudden urge to reach out and touch his hair – see if it was as soft as it seemed. "In other words, I can choose to enter any dream I want to create mischief in and entertain myself. And tonight, I chose yours."

Miku felt somewhat dejected, though his words were not entirely unexpected. "You promised me a nice, sweet dream, not a dream where you come in and ruin everything," she said, faintly accusing. Len just walked towards her, and without any preamble he sat himself down next to her – he looked at her steadily, and she realised that she had never seen him look so genuinely serious before. He could pretend to be serious, but there was always a spark of humour in his eyes giving him away – this time, that glimmer was missing, and his look of absolute seriousness was not something she was used to.

"Who said I was here to ruin anything?" he asked, after some silence had passed between them, and neither one had said anything. He left it at that, looking away from her at the surrounding flower field. "Hey, why do you like flowers so much?" he asked, after a pause. "I was looking through your memories to find out what's your favourite thing, since you asked for sweet dreams. And flowers ranked pretty high on your list of favourite things…lemon meringue pie being the very first," the ghost of a smile crossed his lips, and she didn't know whether to laugh or hit him. "But back to being serious, why would you like something so…fragile? They're so transient. They live and then they die, and nothing changes whether or not they exist. One dies, two dies, it's all the same."

"But if you think about it that way, at least they existed for a while. They don't have to think or anything like that; they just stand there and look lovely. It's a nice life, if you think about it that way. And they bring pleasure to those who surround them – they're pretty to look at and they smell wonderful too. They have a purpose in life, no matter how short their life is. It's better than me, since I don't really have a goal or purpose," she admitted in a moment of weakness. Len was listening closely, she could tell. "I think I would be a lot happier as a flower. I don't have to think so much if I was one, then."

"And why can't you be happy as a human?" he asked, still sounding completely serious. She was so unused to this Len, who listened to her without interrupting and didn't make any snide comments while she was saying something. She didn't know whether she would like it if he remained like this, though. There was intensity in his gaze that she was most unused to, and she thought that his eyes might sear her if he continued staring at her this way. "Sometimes, the only thing that some creatures want is to be human."

For some reason, she thought that he sounded rather sad, but guessed that he would say she was being oversensitive if she ever mentioned that. "I don't know why I can't be happy as a human," she said honestly. "Maybe it's because I went through too much in my past. Not everyone is the same, no one will be like me," she continued, reaching out to pluck out one of the flowers all around them in the field. "Like this flower, see? It's not the same as the others if you look really closely. None of them can be said to be exactly identical, even though they all seem so transient and replaceable. And some flowers are weaker than others, though you can't see it. Some of them are tainted…and you can't see it either," her final words were said in a soft whisper, and she let the flower fall.

Len reached out, catching the flower before it could reach the ground. He peered at it curiously, and then looked up at her again. "Well, they're certainly not all the same. Even twins aren't the same, even if they try to be," he shrugged. "They're pretty similar though, don't you think? Even the strong ones and the weak ones…at the end of the day, they're all just flowers," he shrugged again, letting the daisy and the other flower rest on his lap. He reached out, plucking up other flowers, and Miku watched what he was doing with them, her eyes filled with curiosity. "Did you ever think about it…do you think flowers have feelings? Do you think they feel pain when you pluck them?" he asked.

"Hm…yeah, I do think about it sometimes. I look at them when they're just bloomed and I look at them when they're about to die, and their petals are all falling. Then I wonder if they know if they're going to die, and if they knew, are they resigned to it, or do they wish they could live on because they don't want to die," she answered, her eyes still fixed on the growing pile of flowers on Len's lap. "I try to avoid stepping on the front lawn for that reason. I wonder if the grass cries out in pain when you step on it, just that their cries are so soft that you can't hear their pain. It's a disturbing thought."

Len let out a brittle laugh. "Well, since we're sitting on grass at this very moment, maybe screams of pain abound around us and we just simply can't hear it," he said, his gaze fixed on the flowers in his hands. He was weaving the stalks together expertly, and she wondered what he was making. "But it's strange of you, to compare flowers and grass to humans. You know that you're entirely different, don't you?" he picked up another flower, adding it to the circlet in his hand. "You can't be sure if plants can feel – but humans definitely can. And I think that it's a sad waste to throw away emotions like that, the way the whole lot of you like to do. You don't know how much something else might appreciate your capacity to feel. I think it's kind of selfish," Len finished, his eyes still not looking in her direction. She paused and considered what he was saying.

"I don't think we throw away our emotions," she answered slowly. "I think…I think that even those people who don't want to feel can't help but feel, but they try and channel their energy into doing other things. You ask me why I can't feel happy as a human," she stared at him and remained silent until he looked up at her, meeting her gaze, "well, you can't expect me to be optimistic when there's so much to be sad about," she shivered a little at the specific memory she was recalling, and something about Len seemed to soften. His fingers stilled – he was done making whatever he was making, and she looked down at what he was holding. _Ah…a flower crown. I haven't seen one in a while._

"What are you recalling…?" Len asked her, his whisper quiet but so intense that she could hear him perfectly. He was studying her face, and she looked away from him, not wanting to know what she was, indeed, remembering. There were some things in life that were better left forgotten, and this was one of those things.

"Don't ask me…please don't turn this into a nightmare," her answer a soft whisper just like his, though it sounded broken instead of sure, like how his was. She didn't want to remember – she had asked for sweet dreams so that she could forget what her past didn't want to let go of, and his incessant probing and questions were surfacing that past, those nightmares again. He reached out, holding the flower crown – it was a thing of startling beauty, and she was rather surprised that the nightmare eater could create something so beautifully delicate – and, brushing her hair away from her face, placed it on her head. She blinked as he withdrew from her, studying her intently. He smiled.

"I won't let it become one," he answered, so confident and so determined that she had to believe him. He leant closer to her, and she caught her breath, wondering what it was that he intended to do. His hands reached out, holding gently but firmly on to her shoulders, and with a little start of surprise, she realised that he was warm. That was strange, because she was so used to him being cold, his skin freezing hers when they brushed. She wondered why he felt so warm in this dream, but stopped wondering when he drew her closer to him by her shoulders – suddenly, instinctively, she knew what he was going to do, and she felt powerless to resist…didn't _want _to resist.

_He's warm…so much warmer than I thought he could ever be._

His lips met hers, and they were soft and rather familiar – it was strange that she felt like she was coming home to something she knew well, because he had only ever kissed her once before. Again, the taste of ice and mint, but it wasn't harsh and freezing, like how it had been like earlier in her bedroom. The ice and mint was refreshing rather than frightening, and she closed her eyes, savouring the taste that was so unique, so new and different to her. He pulled away from her slightly, and she wanted to protest, but before she could he returned, nipping lightly at her bottom lip. She gasped, her lips parting in response, and his hand reached up to the back of her head, supporting her. His lips moved back to cover hers, and this time she felt his tongue slip into her mouth.

Miku allowed him to do that, allowed him to explore her mouth with his own. It was an intimate gesture, and she knew she wasn't supposed to like or allow this – she didn't know him enough to allow him to get so close – but she didn't mind. He was tender and gentle with her, and she responded to the newfound softness. She thought she wouldn't mind if he was like this more often…might even consider liking him if he was like this more and didn't always try to confuse and taunt her. _Even if he isn't human, even if he is a nightmare eater…_his other hand reached up to cup her cheek, and her eyelids fluttered when she felt him withdraw, nipping gently at her jaw before returning to her mouth.

_Is this what a kiss is supposed to be like, then?_

After a period of time that could have been anywhere from between a few seconds to an entire eternity, Len pulled away, breathing heavier than usual. She was left gasping, and she didn't know how to react to what just happened. She could still taste his mint and ice in her mouth, and wanted more, though she knew she shouldn't want more, because she shouldn't want to kiss him again. _But I do, though I know I shouldn't. _The way he was looking at her now…his eyes were filled with some unreadable emotion, but his hold on her was gentle and unlike what she was used to. Len Kagamine was not gentle, not nice.

"Yes, that's what a kiss is supposed to be like," he murmured in response to her thoughts – she flushed, not knowing that he had read her mind again and also not knowing how she felt about that. "Did you like it?" again, that teasing undercurrent made his voice sound lilting. Yet for once, it didn't feel like he was mocking her.

She refused to answer his question, but the red cheeks gave away her opinion. He laughed quietly, and she looked away from him, feeling embarrassed. Why did she like it? It wasn't like she was attracted to him…was she? He was handsome and definitely, definitely attractive, but did that mean that she liked him? She had only just met him, and not to mention…_he's not human, you have no business liking someone like him._

"You can choose not to admit how you feel about it, but I know without you having to tell me," the knowing look in his eyes was irking her, but she didn't know how to make him stop so she decided to remain silent, lest anything she said made the situation worse and she ended up embarrassing herself even more. "But that's all right. I quite liked it too," he sang, his fingers reaching up to stroke her hair, tucking some errant locks behind her ear. "So this is my deal with you, Miku Hatsune. I want you to be mine, and no one else's….can't stand the idea of someone else having fun with my toy."

She didn't know whether to react to the bargain or to the fact that he had just referred to her as a toy. Finally, she opted for the former, since it was far more important than…whatever phrases he might use to describe her. "That's an easy enough deal to make," she said carefully – she didn't have a boyfriend, had no intention to find one, and admitted that Len Kagamine was attractive enough to be anyone's boyfriend. Or lover or whatever the heck he was trying to imply, because being _his _had a lot of different connotations. Be his what? His girlfriend, his other half, his slave, his homework doer…?

"Oh, but it won't be as easy as you think, Miku," he smirked, and his voice lowered, becoming a sensuous whisper – she could almost feel his voice caressing her. "You see, come morning you will totally forget about the deal. You will forget about this dream entirely and you will forget that I ever came to you, and that I laid out such terms for you. It'll be like all this never happened, and only I will remember what transpired. Won't that make things a lot more _interesting_?" he asked, his smirk becoming wicked.

"But that's unfair!" she immediately retorted, her eyes widening at the unjustness. "If you make me forget, then how do you expect me to keep to the deal?" Dealing with Len Kagamine was frustrating. He was utterly unreasonable, and she mildly regretted entering this deal with him. His demands and terms were atrocious. _Is this all just some elaborate ploy to drive me insane, the way he said he would at the very beginning?_

"Don't worry about that, sweet," he cooed, leaning over to nuzzle lightly against her neck. She sucked in a breath, but didn't move, the sensation of his lips against her skin rendering her helpless. "Your body and subconscious will remember my touch. _You _will remember me, though your mind might forget," she could feel his voice vibrating against the skin of her neck. "I know that you're attracted to me. I can tell, even if you refuse to admit it, and what I want to do is to break you down. I want _you _to come to me of your own accord, not because I influenced you. I want to break you down completely and build you up again," it was a dangerous threat, yet she could not move away from him and his beautiful voice. "I will destroy your pride, and you will come to me."

Quickly, he stole another kiss, this one sweet and fleeting – it caught her unawares, and she withdrew once he backed away, the dark humour in his eyes not missing her gaze. "Now forget about this – forget that I ever came, and forget all this when you awaken. I don't want you to remember," he whispered, his fingers cupping her cheek softly. "Good luck to you, my sweet," he tilted his head, looking almost pitying – though she couldn't be sure if that was what he was really feeling. "You're the first human to ever interest me in such a way, and I would be lying if I said you would come out of this unchanged."

With those parting words, Len faded away, the warmth of his hand on her cheek being the very last thing to disappear. And suddenly, she could remember no more.


	5. Chapter 5

Miku flitted around the empty house, getting ready for school. She was going to be late soon if she didn't hurry a little, and she promised herself to get a new alarm clock soon. Her phone's ringer alone wasn't sufficient to wake her up…she was a heavy sleeper.

She was a little disappointed because she couldn't remember her dream when she woke up. Oh, she could remember the general feeling she had when she awoke – she recalled that she had liked it, and she woke up feeling relaxed and contented, but she simply could not remember what were the details of the dream. It was strange because she was so used to being able to remember all her dreams, be they bad or neutral (she rarely ever had good dreams so she didn't recall any of those) yet, for once, she…could not force out any details about the night before. But she was sure there would be others.

She placed her empty bowl in the kitchen sink, deciding to do the dishes after she came home from school – she really was in a bit of a hurry today. It made her think of her brother, and she sighed, missing him – Mikuo would be the one to do the dishes in the morning, while she was the one who prepared breakfast. It was an even division of chores and it had been a comfortable system. She missed her older brother greatly sometimes; the emails and messages he sent her weren't enough to make up for his absence, and she looked forward to his break, when he would come home to visit.

Mikuo was like a parent to her, of sorts. He was four years older than her, but always acted a great deal older than his age. He was very mature and had looked after the both of them when he was young, since even before their deaths her parents worked overseas often. Oh, they didn't disappear for months on end, but they made frequent trips that lasted between two to five days each time, so as a result she and Mikuo were pretty used to being alone. So even after the trauma of their deaths, she and Mikuo got on pretty fine themselves, their parents having left behind a large sum as their inheritance. She was used to being alone with Mikuo, but not used to being truly alone.

She was hit by a sudden craving for apple juice – it was Mikuo's favourite drink, and his preference had passed on to her as well. Grabbing an empty glass, she hurried over to the fridge, searching around for the apple juice – it should be at the front somewhere, she liked apple juice so much that she never relegated it to the back of the fridge. She located the carton, eagerly opening it up and pouring it out – nothing came out, and she scowled at the carton, shaking it slightly. The carton had felt suspiciously light…but she had just gone grocery shopping two days ago, so it wasn't possible that they ran out of apple juice so quickly. She liked it, but she didn't drink it in excessive amounts.

Well, that didn't matter – she was in too much of a hurry to really think about when she had finished off all the apple juice. She threw the carton in the bin and poured herself a glass of warm water, noting that the kettle was running low on water as well – she was going to have to boil a new round when she came back home. Gulping down the water hastily, she dropped the glass in the sink and dashed up the stairs to the room – she still had yet to get into her uniform and comb her hair up for school. She had not tied her hair yesterday and almost got caught by the Discipline Master; she wasn't going to risk that today. But there was just the slight matter of where she had left her hair ties.

_I really need to get a new alarm clock, or I'm going to end up late for school every day. And no one wants to do the Walk of Shame down the hallway to the Head of Discipline's office._

Why was she just so disorganised today? She dashed into her room, not bothering to close the door – she used to close it back when Mikuo and her both lived in the same house, but now that her older brother was in university, there was no need for her to care about etiquette anymore, especially not when she was running late. She got changed into her uniform in less than one minute, which was a whole new record for her, and then desperately rootled around her dresser, trying to find her hair ties.

"Looks like someone is in a hurry, hm?" a very, _very _familiar voice resounded in her room, and it sounded dangerously close to her ear. She skittered away from the source of the sound, blinking in surprise – there stood Len Kagamine, and in his outstretched hand was two light blue hair ties. She made a frantic lunge for them, and he shook his head playfully, whipping his hand out of reach. She let out a small growl of frustration, and amusement sparkled in his eyes at the sound. "No, no. Let me tie it for you. Sit."

Her annoyance melted out of her at those unexpected words, and she stared at him, not sure if he was being serious or not. He tilted his head towards the low chair in front of the dresser, and hesitantly, she sat down, all the earlier rush and impatience suddenly gone. He approached her, reaching past her to take her comb off the dresser – his arm passed close to her, and she shivered a little at the close proximity of his skin. She hoped that he had not noticed her reaction to his nearness, but the little smile that curved his lips assured her the opposite, that he had seen the way she behaved around him.

He parted her long, thick teal hair into two, moving to weave her hair into an intricate braid. She gazed at herself in the mirror – her eyes were wide, while his were narrowed intently on her hair; she had never seen him focusing so intently on something before. The sight of his long, pale fingers weaving her hair expertly in and out brought to mind a very sudden, unexpected memory – the image of those same fingers weaving stalks of green and leaves, movements so deft that she could not believe a boy could be so dexterous – but before she could grasp on to that memory, it slipped away, and she could remember no more. "You seem practised," she observed. Len looked up, meeting her eyes in the mirror. Green stared into blue. Even in a mirror, that gaze was intense.

"I have a sister," was the only thing he said in reply, and she did not say anything more. He was done with one side now, and the braid that fell on the side of her face was neat and more defined than anything she could have ever achieved, even if she had all the time in the world and wasn't in a hurry. He was now tying the other part, and she felt a little strange that Len Kagamine was helping her to tie her hair. She never thought that the dream eater would ever treat her this way…so nicely, that was. She was under the impression that he only ever wanted to taunt and torture others. He said so himself, after all – that he was not a nice dream eater, and he revelled in the insanity of others.

The two of them remained in silence for the duration he took to tie up her hair, but the silence was not tense, and she was not rushed – it was a comfortable, easy silence, and she almost felt disappointed when he tied the braid, letting it fall to her side. She had to admit that his hair-tying skills were superb, and that she had never managed to tie two French braids without messing the braid up entirely before. "Oh, by the way, I'm sorry but I finished all the apple juice in the fridge," he piped up, though he didn't sound like he was particularly sorry. Miku gasped – she was right, she had _not _been the one who had drunk it all. Her eyes narrowed at him in the glass, and he shrugged, still not sorry.

"Since you finished it, you'll buy a new carton for me," she retorted. He just shrugged again, and then nodded in playful resignation. She sighed – nothing she ever did ever seemed to have any effect upon him. "Aren't you worried about being late?" she asked, though she was no longer worried either. There was something about his presence that made her feel like it didn't matter whether or not they were late.

"Me?" he sounded a little surprised. She shot him a droll look – who else could she possibly be talking about, if not him? He shook his head slowly. "Why should I be concerned? I'm not in school to learn, unlike you and the rest of your friends. Whatever your teachers are teaching you, I have already learnt before, and the lessons bore me. I could skip the entire school year and I would still top the school, I can assure you that," he sounded bored rather than proud, and that just drove home the point – that he knew more than she did, and this would probably stay that way forever. "I'm in school for a very different reason – and my reason is right here in front of me, so why should I fret?"

She blinked – she had not expected him to admit, so readily, that she was the main reason why he was even here to begin with. There was something in his eyes, some sort of _knowledge_ in them that told her he knew a lot more than he let on – but what was that knowledge? She didn't have any idea, had no idea if it was even relevant to her. She wondered what he was up to after he sent her to sleep last night. What would a bored _baku_ do in the middle of the night…well, other than torment dreamers, of course.

She didn't know what to say, so she opted to say nothing. She left the room, making her way down the stairs to get to school, grabbing her schoolbag off the coffee table along the way, and he followed her unobtrusively and quietly. The way he moved reminded her of a feline, soundless and graceful. Nevertheless, no matter how silent and careful he was, she could still feel his presence lurking behind her, next to her as he casually fell into step beside her. Should she attempt to make conversation with him, or should she just remain silent, as she was accustomed to around him? She didn't talk much to guys.

It turned out that she didn't have to worry about that, since the _baku _spoke to her before long. "Hey, remember any of your dreams last night?" he asked as they walked along the pavement on the way to school. Miku was thankful that she lived pretty near the school, or she really would have been late by now. She glanced up at the dream eater – he wasn't looking at her while he spoke, his gaze fixed on something far off in the distance ahead of them. She wondered whether he was actually looking at something or whether he was simply stoning at empty space; she couldn't tell, she didn't know him well enough to be able to tell. She could tell when Luka was stoning and when she was actually staring at something, but with Len…he was totally unreadable, even for her.

"No, I didn't remember any of them. It was kind of disappointing, since I really wanted to know. I've forgotten what it's like to experience a good dream," the last part came out as a tiny whisper, part statement and part confession. He glanced at her at those words, and studied her for a moment. Both of them looked at each other, and Miku thought that they made a strange pair – the blond haired boy with the midnight eyes who seemed to know so much for his apparent age, and her…she, who would not stop asking questions and demanding answers. He knew more than her, but would never let her know the full extent of his knowledge. He would always keep his secrets hidden, she was aware.

"That's nothing too surprising, actually," he said causally. "Lots of humans can't recall their dreams when they wake up, and I guess that might apply to you as well. But what the dream exactly is shouldn't be the main point. The main point is the _essence _of the dream. What were the emotions and feelings that underpinned the dream – fear, joy, anger, sadness? I always feel that the most important part of a dream is not what actually _happened _during the dream, but rather how your dream made you feel," he said simply. "Do you remember that, then? What it made you experience," he clarified.

She glanced down at the pavement, feeling a little uneasy about telling him – she felt like he already _knew_, so why was he asking her again? "I…I remember that the dream I had last night was pleasant. It made me feel really good, and…it was a good dream. I felt happy. But I can't remember what the dream was, and I don't know why…" she looked at him, a sudden thought striking her. "Hey, you're the one who gave me the dream last night. Do you know what dream I had?" she asked, hoping that he did. She really wanted to remember what sort of dream it was…why the dream could make her feel so good.

At her question, a knowing smile flickered over his full lips. "Maybe I do, maybe I don't, Miku. Who knows about the ways of _bakus_? Certainly not mere mortals…and I'm afraid that's all you are," his tone was dismissive, and that actually stung a little. She frowned at him, not wanting him to know that his words had cut her. "Anyway, whether or not I know isn't really important. You know how the dream made you feel; you know that I gave you a good dream, so you should know that I didn't renege on my promise, right?"

She didn't focus on the last part, instead narrowing her eyes at him as she realised what his words were implying. "You _do _know, don't you?" she asked bluntly. He remained quiet, and she stepped a little closer to him, tipping her head back slightly so she could meet his gaze. "You know! What did I dream about last night? I really want to know," she wheedled. He seemed to teeter somewhere between agreeing to tell her and keeping his mouth shut. Finally, he reached out and patted her head, the way one might to a little dog. She shook him off, her lips curving down into a scowl, and he laughed.

"Oh, don't scowl, Miku. You have a pretty little face, and scowling would only ruin your looks," he shook his head, lips pursing. "Anyway, about your dreams…well, that's a secret, I'm afraid," he winked at her. It was a quick wink, rather conspiratorial, but it let her know absolutely nothing. "And that isn't important. You will have lots of other nice dreams, so just let this one go for once, won't you? You'll remember the others."

Miku glared at the _baku,_then shook her head and ignored him, increasing her walking speed. Trying to say anything else to him would only frustrate her. He easily kept pace with her given his longer stride, but he made the right decision and chose not to say anything more. The two of them walked the rest of the distance in complete silence.

* * *

><p>As always, Len spent most of his day staring at the back of a certain teal haired girl. Her back was ramrod straight, and he knew that she was perfectly aware he was staring at her. A smirk curved his lips – he had to wonder how much longer she would deny him for. Deny the attraction that she felt for him, because he knew she liked him. How much?<p>

He would let her remember the nice, _sweet _dream once she gave herself up and surrendered herself entirely to him. He was still curious about her – there was still so much to this mortal girl that he didn't know, didn't understand, and he wanted to understand. He couldn't just forget about what he did not understand. He was used to knowing about everything, and when something he never encountered came his way, he would stay there until he managed to figure it out. Miku Hatsune would not be an exception to that. Besides, she made him curious. That had to mean…she was special?

He wondered, if he was capable of doing so, if he would have been attracted to her. He didn't know if he was, honestly. He couldn't really remember what it was like to be interested in someone in a romantic way – after all, even back in his youth, he had never been particularly interested in romance. He was, from the very start, interested only in power and knowledge. He wanted to be the most powerful, the most fearsome _baku_ their brethren ever produced. And he could safely say that now, he was up on that level.

But then, what did love feel like? What was lust and attraction? That, he did not know. He couldn't say that he knew, because that would be a lie. And lying to himself would be stupid, no matter how desirable that lie might seem to be. _Ultimately, the self knows best whether it's a truth or a lie, right? _He wished he could know what it felt like though, because he suspected that she meant a lot more to him than other people did. But whether it was as a pet, as a person, or as a food source? He could not tell.

Len really hated the curse that lay over his head…the curse that lay over _all _their heads. It was the gods, being petty as usual. He never had been very fond of the gods, from the very beginning, and their curse just made his antagonism towards them intensify. He could not deny that they were useful and powerful, but that didn't mean he had to be on their side or anything like that. As a nightmare _baku_, the only person whom Len ever served was himself. Ever since the curse, his already keen sense of logic overtook him entirely, and logic was all he had left – it was his entire being, without it he was nothing.

He wished he could hate the gods, could actually remember what the feeling of hate was like. Even now, he could taste the venom on his tongue, feel the old familiar ache of anger raging through his veins – but all that was a mere memory of a memory, and he could not truly feel what it was like. That was their curse, after all. He was numb now, and that…humans always said that they knew what was true suffering, but it was the _bakus _who really could say that. Because what did humans know about pain, about hurt and anguish? They knew absolutely nothing – their minor little pains could not even begin to compare with what his entire brethren had suffered through.

His kind was just lucky that the gods had forgotten about one small loophole that enabled them to escape from that curse, the monotony of their barren lives, even if it was only for just a short while. He could not imagine existing without that loophole – he would be destroyed without that tiny pathway into colour. The gods were careless and lazy, so that much he was thankful for, or knew he ought to be thankful for. He let out a soft sigh, his gaze shifting temporarily away from Miku so he could focus on the teacher – he had read the man's thoughts, and knew that the teacher was planning on calling him to answer a question very soon, because _he seems distracted_, as how the teacher put it. Too bad Len not only knew the answer, he knew the question the teacher intended to ask as well. _Pretty much one of the only perks of being a selective mind reader._

That little loophole which was exploited by all of his kind was used the most by him. Him and the rest of his subspecies – the _nightmare bakus_, who fed on adrenaline and terror because they were the most intense, they were the most effective. He used the loophole so much that it was dangerous, but he didn't care – he would do anything for a little taste of what life used to be like, before he got caught by the gods and stripped like the rest. He could claim to have lasted the longest before being caught by the gods – two hundred years, almost. No other dream eater had managed to evade the curse for so long. But then evading the curse forever was impossible when you were immortal.

Keeping his gaze trained on the teacher in front so that he would not be suspicious, Len let his mind wander again. He decided that he wanted to read Miku's thoughts – he had little doubt that whatever she was thinking about would be far more interesting than the algebraic equation on the board. _I wonder what you're thinking about. Let's take a look, shall we? _He peered curiously into her mind – reading the thoughts of others was a fine art, a delicate procedure. It was like taking a key and inserting it into a lock, revealing something precious and deep – something that shouldn't be made public but _was _to people like him. Use too much force while inserting the key and they risked letting the person know they were there, sneaking around. But use too little force and the mind would not open; the thoughts would remain private and unknown.

Miku appeared to be vaguely aware that he was probing her mind, however, because he saw her jump in her chair the moment he tried to crack her mind open. She chose to ignore what he was doing, however, preferring to concentrate on the lesson. He flipped through her thoughts, saw her daydreams, and decided that he would prefer to stay in her mind than in this boring reality that was the classroom. The teacher could call him if he wanted – Len knew all the answers to all the questions the poor man could possibly use on him, and he would know when he was going to be called even before the man opened his mouth. Miku's daydreams about eating at a nearby ice cream café were even more interesting than this – which spoke quite a bit for how bored the _baku _was.

He couldn't help wondering one thing, though. _How much longer will she be able to resist me? It won't be fun if she gives in too soon, but waiting too long is troublesome too. No matter though, I got all the time in the world to make her crack, and when she cracks…_his lips tilted up into a smirk_, __when she cracks I will enjoy the fruits of my success._


	6. Chapter 6

"Why do I get the feeling that you're avoiding me?" Len dropped by her table during break, standing before her with a plaintive look on her face. She swallowed.

"I'm not avoiding you. What makes you think that I'm doing that?" she mumbled, scowling down at the papers she had on her desk. So she had a History essay due in three hours which she had completely forgotten about last night, and that was pretty bad for her. If there was one subject Miku disliked other than Math, it would have to be History. She never really understood why she had to study the French Revolution and dead King Louis…whatever number came behind that name. She wasn't even French.

Fine, so maybe she was avoiding Len, just a little. But it wasn't because she disliked him or anything like that. Rather, it was because no matter where Len Kagamine went, there would be girls trailing after him, like a murder of crows gossiping about their latest eye candy. Honestly, she felt that the amount of noise that they brought with them wherever they went was totally unnecessary and it was a complete _distraction_ to people who needed to rush out their homework…people like her! She was trying to avoid all distractions at this moment, and Len being here was not helping in the slightest.

"You look so fierce, Hatsune," the dream eater pouted (she hated to admit it but Len looked good while pouting), "that scowl is totally ruining your pretty face. How would you ever manage to get a boyfriend looking like that? No wonder you're still single," she gasped, looking up from the papers she was glaring down at. Len was staring straight at her, looking perfectly serious, though she could see the crooked little smile hovering on the edge of his lips. She wanted to leap up and wrap her fingers around his neck and throttle him to death, but didn't because firstly, he wasn't human and probably wouldn't die, and secondly, his numerous admirers would probably kill her for daring to try.

"Did anyone ever tell you how irritating you are?" she finally settled for that, letting out a weary sigh as she slumped over on the table, giving up on the stupid History assignment. She would just scribble something and have Luka look over it before she submitted it – her best friend was a History goddess. Luka actually _liked _the subject, and that was something Miku would never understand. Give her stuff like Literature any day, or Foreign Languages. Those kind of subjects were all about _feel_, she could totally do those, but stuff where she actually had to remember dates and things...not really.

"Anyone…like humans? I'm afraid not," he leant down to her, his palms spread out over her table. "I tend to hide myself while I'm in the mortal world, so this is the first time in a long time any mortal has laid eyes on me. I can safely say you're the first mortal who ever thought I was annoying," he shrugged nonchalantly. "And as for other the other _bakus…_well, no. They're all too frightened of me to tell me something like that," he said flippantly. Miku blinked up at him – that wasn't something she had expected to hear. It was like a tiny little hint, a small glimpse into the world that he truly belonged to.

"Why are the other dream eaters scared of you?" she asked, curious. At that simple question, his entire stance changed – he rose from the table, his eyes darkening slightly in some emotion she could not really identify. It made his already dark blue eyes look black, even under the bright light of the classroom. His mouth twisted slightly, giving it a subtle downward tilt that would seem unnoticeable to all but those who were observing him closely, the way she was now. She sensed that she trod upon a sensitive subject, and wondered if perhaps she should not have brought it up – but when he said things like that, how could he expect her not to wonder and question? The faint scowl suddenly flipped up into a bright grin, but the darkness didn't leave – she didn't trust that smile.

"They're scared because they know who I really am, and they know my reputation in the _baku _world. The only reason why you're not scared of me is because you don't know who I really am, Miku," his smile was empty, his words completely devoid of any emotion. She was unused to this coming from Len; he was always mocking and teasing, but at least there was emotion in his voice. It was actually a little terrifying, to hear a tone so flat issuing from the lips of someone who was normally so teasing, so…full of life. Was the taunting Len she was used to the real him, or this unemotional stranger?

Before she could say anything else about him to him, he turned away from her table and left her, sauntering away back to his seat. She turned in her chair, gazing after him, feeling a little confused about that abrupt brush-off and his sudden shift in attitude. When he got back to his seat, he didn't look at her – instead, he looked blatantly away from her, engaging the girl in the seat next to his in an animated conversation. She wondered what he was talking about. The girl looked blissful, but then any female who talked to Len Kagamine would generally have that expression on her face.

She didn't like the churning feeling she got in her stomach at the sight of him talking to another girl and ignoring her so obviously. He probably knew that she was looking at him but chose not to acknowledge her – but why, when she had done absolutely nothing to offend him? He was the one who had set himself up to be asked that question. She just didn't like that he was ignoring her, though; she didn't care that he was talking to another girl. It wasn't like he was her boyfriend, and she most certainly didn't like him. Looking at them talk though…she wished she could know what they were discussing.

But more so than that, she wondered why Len Kagamine was feared in the _baku _world. After all, despite his strangeness and his demands, the dream eater seemed nice enough.

* * *

><p>Len frowned, lazily twirling a pencil while the teacher droned on and on about coastal management. Earlier, while he was talking to Miku, he had been positive that he felt the presence of another in his mind…the presence of someone he really wished to never meet again. He hoped that he was mistaken, but knew he probably was not.<p>

Another _baku_ with a reputation that could easily match his, someone who had dabbled so much in the forbidden that he became almost twisted himself. Len wished he never had to cross paths with the _baku_ again, but also resigned himself to the fact that it was impossible for him to avoid the dream eater forever. He guessed that if _he _was in this sleepy little town, then he would be looking for sustenance as well – and there was a ninety-five percent chance that the dream eater was already aware of Miku Hatsune and how _vivid _a dreamer she was. But Len wasn't willing to share his prize.

_Hey…she's mine. Miku Hatsune is mine, don't you dare lay a finger on her, _he thought viciously, pushing the thought out into the open. If there really was another dream eater in the vicinity, they would receive the thought just fine. A few seconds later, there was an answering chuckle, the voice familiar though he had not heard it in a long, long time. Len smiled darkly – so his intuition earlier had been right, and the dream eater really was in town. On the bright side, at least things would become more interesting here.

_So she's yours then, Len Kagamine?_ The answering thought was smooth and measured, the voice calm but with an undercurrent of taunt. It would have infuriated him if he was capable of feeling such an emotion._Or so you say…but then, I've never been someone who really respected the contracts and deals of other people, right? _The voice had taken on a lilting, sing-song tone, and that only served to make him more fidgety – he wished he could leap out of his chair right now and dash out of the school so he could have a little talk with this particular dream eater. But he couldn't; he was stuck in this prison that humans called an education institution. Couldn't they hire more engaging teachers?

_Find your own source of sustenance, _Len thought darkly. _I don't intend to give up what I found, and we both know that if we really were to fight over something like this, it's likely that I'm going to win. _Or so he thought. He couldn't be sure, actually – it had been a while since he last encountered this _baku_, and for all he knew this _baku _had honed his powers and become even stronger than him. Len doubted that though. There were flaws in his technique that, even with his more powerful skills, would lose out to Len's years of accumulated experience and magic. _Do you really want to push me that far?_

_Oh, I wouldn't dare. I'd like to live a few more years, _another low chuckle. _But then, I'm just like you, Len. I fight for the best so that I can have it, and when you have the best source of sustenance in this boring little town…well, I'm afraid to say that I can't step down, then, _he could hear the shrug in the dream eater's words, and it made Len want to find the _baku_ right now so they could settle things before it got too serious. Len did not want an unnecessary fight – all that would do was drain his energy, and he hated losing his magical energy. He'd rather save that for feeling…but again, as established, he was stuck in this place people called a school and couldn't leave now. _So I guess I will see you soon?_

With those words, the connection between them was cut, and Len gritted his teeth, on the very verge of feeling aggravation. _So you think that you can challenge me to what is mine and walk away unscathed? __Think again. I won't let you get to her so easily. _Len was a possessive person, and he would not let go of what belonged to him. He was the one who found Miku first, and the first one was always the winner. What right did a loser have to come trailing up behind him and demand his share of the prize? No right whatsoever, and he would ensure that Miku remained exclusive to him. No one ever crossed him and got away without any consequences – _he_ would be no exception.

Len was not going to give up his fix. Not yet, not so easily, not when she was the most _intense, _vivid dreamer he had ever had the fortune to encounter. Tasting the essence of her dreams...the energy that lingered in her dreams was more than enough to remind him of what he used to have, what all _bakus _used to have, and what they pretended to still have. His lips tilted up into a practised smirk – one that had absolutely no emotion behind it, but to the unobservant eye would seem entirely genuine.

Emotions…a painful treasure that they no longer had, and wished they still had. The very memory of losing them hurt, and hurt was a raw pain and feeling they still could experience because it _wasn't _an emotion. It was a sensation. The king of the gods was cruel enough to take away everything except for pain and curiosity – pain because the sensation kept them in check, and curiosity because eternally unsatisfied curiosity was the most tormenting feeling in the world. He gritted his teeth at the memory of what had happened – _why _their emotions had been torn away from them, just like that.

The loss of their emotions was a punishment for the _bakus_, but he found that the reason why they were punished was incredibly unfair. It wasn't even their fault…not all of them, anyway. Not all of them had been involved in the transgression, so why such a blanket punishment for them? Being without emotions was a fate worse than death – some people wished they could live without emotion, but if they knew what such a fate really entailed, they would take that back immediately. He wouldn't wish this upon even his worst enemy. A lack of emotions made him logical, and there were few people who could beat him in an argument (those people were usually _bakus_ too) but then he could not feel, and with a lack of emotion came a lack of memory. Memory without feeling was nothing more than a bunch of pretty pictures. He was like an empty shell of the past.

And that was the reason why _bakus _fed on dreams. Because dreams contained emotion, they were full of the emotional energy of their dreamers. When _bakus _lurked in the dreams of others, they realised that they could _feel_, that they were no longer dead and numb to all sensation. They could revel in the emotional maelstrom that was a dream and remember, for just a short period of time, what it felt like to be alive, something other than an almost automated machine. This was the tiny loophole the gods had forgotten about when they cursed them to be emotionless, and Len was glad they had not realised they left this out. Once discovered, the secret was passed around and soon enough, all the _bakus _were out there, trying to feel as much from dreams as possible.

Len, and many of the other _bakus,_ drifted from place to place, always seeking out the next vivid dreamer. Vivid, because the more vivid the dream, the more they could _feel _while in the dream. That was why Len was so unwilling to let go of Miku. She was the most vivid dreamer he had ever met – the very essence of her nightmares was fear and terror, and it was like tequila shots to him, injected into his very veins. He could feel the raw adrenaline and passion in her memories and her fear, and that nourished him. He never felt more satisfied with any other dreamer than he did with Miku Hatsune.

_Bakus _also liked to take some of the emotional energy in dreams and absorb it into themselves, keeping it so that they could use this energy to experience emotion, even outside of the dream. But that wasn't something they could do too often. If a dream eater absorbed too much energy from one of their dreamers, that dreamer would wake up tired and irritable – prolonged over-absorption would ultimately drive the person insane, and that wasn't something most _bakus _aimed for. They were emotionless, but that didn't mean they were cruel or malicious. They just wanted enough energy to be able to feel again, and they rarely intended to drive their target to the point of madness.

And that was why Len preferred nightmares over all other dreams. Nightmares were, after all, the most adrenaline filled, the more emotional and vulnerable dreams of all. They were filled with so much emotional energy that he could take a substantial amount of energy away from the dreamer, and he or she would still feel completely fine the next day. He never had to worry about taking too much because nightmares would always provide sufficient fuel for him without needing to drain…unlike the calm and tranquillity of pleasant dreams, where he had to take a great deal of energy just to feel even a semblance of his past emotions. The reason why most _bakus _still preferred the more laborious sweet dreams, however, was because nightmares were powerful and strong. It took someone equally strong to be able to suppress nightmare energy and turn it into emotional energy, something to suit his own ends. And most dream eaters simply were not powerful enough to last through this conversion. He could, though.

He had trained himself from the very start to be able to force nightmares into energy. It had come at great cost, but it wasn't something he ever regretted – look where he was now, one of the strongest and most respected (perhaps feared would be a better term to use here) _bakus _their kind had ever seen. And he had an advantage in being able to absorb both nightmares and sweet dreams – he never had to, unlike the rest of his more peace-loving brethren, hunt constantly for nice dreamers. He could go to the insane ones, the depressed and suicidal ones, and come out no different from the rest. But Miku was the very best out of all the homicidal, terror-filled dreamers he ever ran into – because the sheer intensity of her dreams surpassed even the most horrific nightmare.

He had been able to feel even outside of dreams, in the waking world, all because of Miku's nightmares. Her emotions had exhilarated him, made him feel energized and _alive, _they made his smiles and frowns more genuine than usual. Taking away just a tiny bit of her dream energy was equivalent to absorbing almost all the energy of another dreamer, and that thrilled him – that he found someone brimming with so much emotion that he would never have to hunt for another target for the rest of his immortal existence. Even upon her death, he suspected that the raw memory and emotion that came with passing would be enough to sustain him for the rest of time itself. Not that he was hoping she would die any time soon, of course. He was not _that _self-serving.

After their emotions had been stripped away, the dream eaters had to relearn how to smile, how to cry, how to show all their emotions again, how to force them out onto their face even when they had no real feelings of their own. This was because other people felt uncomfortable talking to them when their faces were always the same, never changing, when it was always a blank mask. Just like the rest of them, Len had forced himself to recall what it looked like to laugh, to smirk, to display all manner and range of expression, and then he had committed those expressions to memory, bringing those empty memories up when he had to act like he was feeling when he actually wasn't. Now, however, as Len glanced at the teal haired girl sitting at the front of the classroom, he thought that the faint smile which flitted across his lips might actually be genuine.

_I'm not going to give up the most vivid dreamer I've ever met. I'm not going to give up my source of emotions, not even if it hurts me to hold on._


	7. Chapter 7

"You're transferring schools, Gumi?" Miku's gaped at her friend, her heart sinking in her chest – but this was so sudden. "Why? You're doing so well in class!"

"Well…you know what my parents are like, they're always travelling," Gumi rolled her eyes in resignation. "Dad said he got dropped to another branch, and Mum is going with him…they won't leave me alone here, so I have to go with them," she shrugged. Then a faint smile ghosted over her lips, and she leant closer to Miku, her voice becoming a great deal softer. "Anyway, I heard someone else is coming in to take my spot, so that should make things interesting…oh, I heard the teachers discussing it during lunch," she added, noticing the look of confusion that crossed Miku's face at her words.

"Don't you think there have been a lot of new students lately?" Miku muttered, her gaze slanting to the side, to where Len Kagamine was currently chatting with Lily, one of the more flirtatious girls in their school. As she watched, Lily laughed and tossed some of her long blonde hair over her shoulder, leaning closer to Len while reaching out to touch his forearm. The blond haired dream eater didn't move away from her, and it made Miku wonder if the _baku _actually _enjoyed _the attention Lily was giving him.

Last night, Len came to her again, and he took away her nightmares. For the first time though, she could remember parts of her dream – she remembered the sunshine and the people she knew and cared about and mostly, the occasional glimpses of dark blue eyes and a wicked grin. But she couldn't remember very much other than that. This morning, Len accompanied her on the way to school again, and he seemed to _know _the content of her dreams once again, if the cryptic hints he dropped were any indication – however, no matter how much she asked, he again refused to tell her anything.

Gumi looked in the same direction she was, and her eyes landed on a certain blond haired boy. She grinned, a quick flash of pearly white teeth. "You're talking about Len Kagamine, I bet," she tilted her head, studying the boy. "Can't deny that he's a really good piece of eye candy, though," she added, her voice sounding a little teasing. And that was really strange because, like her, Gumi was not prone to noticing boys – the green haired girl was more interested in tinkering around with her spare parts and mechanics than anything else. She was an inventor and a genius, through and through.

Miku instantly spluttered. "_Him, _eye candy?" her gaze snapped back to Gumi, who looked perfectly serious, if a trifle entertained. "I mean, yes, he's good looking and all but…" her gaze drifted back to him. _But what? _She didn't know how else to continue. She didn't want Gumi to think that he was good looking, but she didn't quite know why either when it was clear to anyone with functional eyesight that the blond haired dream eater was easily one of the most handsome people in the school…perhaps in the entire town. Honestly, he had the kind of looks that should be on a fashion runway, not in their school. At that moment, Len chose to look up from his conversation – his blue eyes flitted across the room and met hers. He winked at her before going back to chatting.

Though that one look was incredibly fleeting, she couldn't help becoming extremely aware of the boy, unable to take her attention off him for the rest of the day. And perhaps those were his exact intentions – to make her so sensitive towards him that he couldn't fidget without her noticing. Len didn't know. But he liked the effect he had on her. It just showed how, no matter how much her conscious mind tried to stay away from him, she simply could not resist him – was drawn to him like how moths were drawn to a flame. If she came too close to him, he would destroy her completely.

But wasn't that what humans liked, after all? Danger mesmerised rather than repelled them. And he reeked of danger and sensuality. It was everything a human would like, wrapped up in a pretty little package, and he waited…just waited…for Miku to open it.

* * *

><p><em>I hope I don't like Len, but I can't think of any other reason why I can't take my eyes off him. Does like usually come with such feelings of irritation, though?<em>

Miku tried to look away from the _baku_, and once again she failed miserably to do so. Gumi noticed again, and let out a sigh – the green haired girl was annoyingly observant, and that was not something Miku appreciated when she was trying her very hardest to avoid someone. "Ever since he winked at you this morning you haven't been able to keep your gaze off him for longer than five seconds…are you sure you don't like him?"

"I don't!" she snapped, an automatic reaction. _At least, I don't think I do._ "He's a _flirt_, Gumi – look at how many girls he has surrounding him right now," she pointed out, making a faint sound of disgust at those words. Indeed, half of the girls in class were surrounding him now, tittering and laughing away as he told them some kind of story. Miku was curious about what he was telling them, but her pride was too much a barrier – she would rather stay here and let her curiosity remain unsatisfied than have to go up to the boy and jostle for space with the other girls just for a bit of his smooth voice.

"You know what? I think I'll go talk to him," Gumi eyed him strangely, but Miku didn't notice – she was so fixated upon him. Gumi wondered whether the teal haired girl was really as averse to him as she thought she was. It certainly didn't seem so; Miku's green eyes gazed at the boy with the same intensity as a hawk looking at its prey, and that was not a look Gumi was used to on Miku. Miku, after all, never expressed any interest whatsoever in any member of the opposite gender. Gumi was actually starting to wonder if the girl was asexual, but well…Len appeared to answer that for her.

Len looked up at Miku again, and saw that she was staring right back at him, a faint frown on her face. He resisted a smirk and returned his attention to the blonde girl who was chattering away in front of him – he had already forgotten her name. And he was not particularly interested in whatever she was talking about…was it something to do with the new movie that just showed or something? It sounded suspiciously like a date, and Len wasn't interested in dating any of the girls who surrounded him now.

Last night, he had fun playing around in Miku's dreams. Of course, he had to remove any portion where he featured too much and too long from her memory, because he didn't want his presence in her dream to trigger any recollection of her first sweet dream – dreams could only be forgotten, but never fully erased. But he left her with enough quick, fleeting glimpses of himself to pique her interest and make her…aware of him. He thought that his actions worked well enough if she couldn't take her eyes off him, the way it was now. He could feel her gaze searing into his back, and it made him a little…well, he didn't really know how to describe it but it was a new sensation for him.

He didn't leave her with anything more than a few glimpses of him because he didn't want her to remember, not just yet. If she remembered him, then she would remember the deal as well. And he didn't want that to happen…if she found out now, then all the fun would be over far too soon. It was a long time since he last encountered anything that could pique his interest, and she was a bright spark who stood out against nothing. He didn't want to let go of something so special and unique so soon. What he set in motion had barely even started; it would be a waste to let her know so quickly, so early.

_She interests me. Why? She's just intriguing. I don't know…there's something about her dreams that draws me in, that makes me want to stay and experience more. Her dreams and her experiences are so vivid compared to the rest – like the difference between make-believe and reality. Sometimes, it makes me wonder if she's really just a mortal._

And that was why the other _baku _was so interested in Miku as well. Because she was different and she…she _spoke _to them through her dreams, communicated with the dream eaters through nothing other than the sheer intensity of her feelings. Len's face dipped into a practiced frown at that thought – he was the one who had found the little dreamer first, him and most certainly _not _the other dream eater. Humans were selfish; _bakus _were no different, and life was first-come first-serve for them. There was no concept of trust or sharing, not when dream eaters existed on pure rationality and helped only themselves, unless they could earn some benefit through serving another.

He cut into the blonde girl's babble – what was her name, Lily? – halfway, smiling apologetically and saying that he was _oh so sorry, _but he really had to go and see to something else. Languidly, taking his own sweet time (for honestly, where could she escape to in the confines of a classroom?) he walked over to Miku, who appeared to be trying to converse with another green haired girl in the class. Her name was Gumi, if Len recalled – he only noticed the girl because she was one of the few who didn't crowd around him during break. He was getting used to all this female attention and wasn't sure if he wanted that or not. It was good to be fawned over, but…it seemed so pointless. And dream eaters never held on to anything which they deemed to be pointless.

Miku glanced up again, clearly trying to find him once more, and he noticed the way her eyes widened when she noticed that he was approaching her and her friend. She mouthed something to Gumi, evidently some hastily made-up excuse to get away from him, but he stepped into her path of escape before she could leave the area. His sharp ears didn't miss the softly muttered curse that passed through her lips before she turned to face him, a blinding smile on her face. He had never seen a faker smile on anyone else before.

His breath hitched slightly as he remembered what they did last night, in her dream. It wasn't anything too intense, anything too soft or romantic – that wasn't something he was partial to. But he liked the playful teases, the suggestive exchanges, the fleeting sweet kisses and, above all, the electricity that had sizzled between them whenever their skin touched. What drew him to her was more than just her feelings and the energy that sparked in her dream – something about _her _attracted him, but he didn't understand why, nor did he particularly want to. It was nice enough to have someone he was somewhat fond of on a more instinctual level, rather than having to analyse the reasons why he ought to like or dislike someone. Instinct was good…was forgotten.

It was a pity that he had to remove most of the memory of the dream she had last night, save for those few quick glimpses, the short visages. He didn't remove everything because he knew that would disappoint her, and he didn't want her to start thinking that he was not keeping to his promise of giving her good dreams. He just left out anything that would be too incriminating. He didn't want her to have any idea what happened between them on a basal level, when he stripped away her guarded wall and explored the vulnerability she tried so hard to hide. If she had any idea that he was more than just mildly interested in her, she would have the upper hand in their game.

And Len didn't like it when his opponent had the upper hand. He never played fair – he was an underhanded little cheat and he didn't regret any moment of being so. What was the point of being fair in a rat race? They were all going to end up under the control of some divine, higher being anyway – might as well use any means possible to get ahead while they still could. He didn't have to care for other people since his own problems took up his entire emotional capacity to care. It was so difficult to _care…_to show concern for someone other than himself, to show concern at all. _Concern…? What's that?_

"Going somewhere?" he asked playfully, pushing the thoughts away and focusing his attention upon the sulking teal haired girl before him, her path of escape blocked by him. She scowled up at him at the sound of his voice, her pretty face twisting into something much more hostile – but not anymore frightening than it usually was. Miku was not what one would consider frightening. Len was sure she could be pointing a knife at him right there and then, threatening to stab him in the heart, and he would not be scared. He was immortal, yes, but there was something so inherently harmless about the girl that the very idea that she could hurt anyone was, frankly, rather laughable.

"Where I'm going is none of your business, Len," she said flatly, shooting him a look that lacked any kind of expression. "Stop bothering me and go back to your clings-on," she added, this time with slightly more emotion in her voice. That didn't go missed by Len, and he arched an eyebrow, lips curving up into a small smirk – was she _jealous?_ He observed her green eyes carefully, saw the way they narrowed back at him and decided promptly, there and then, that she had to be jealous. _Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, _he hummed to himself. _It is an apt saying, especially in situations like this._

"You're jealous, aren't you, Miku?" he crooned softly, leaning close to her – she moved back slightly, away from him and how he was encroaching on her personal space. "If you were, you could have just told me…I would have chased the girls away specially for you, you know," he added teasingly, knowing that would ruffle her feathers. The blank look on her face morphed into one of total disbelief, and she glared at him in what seemed to be a mixture of exasperation and anger. He found this all to be quite entertaining.

"Jealous? Of who, you?" she asked scathingly, her green eyes rolling in a blasé manner before she turned her head away, making an obvious show of looking away from him. Gumi was watching them, a curious observer – he kept her in his peripheral vision though he knew she was just a student, not a threat. He couldn't stop his instinctual wariness from judging anyone who came too close to him, gauging if they would do him any harm or had the intention to do so. _A product of a dangerous past I don't want to remember, though I can't help keeping it in my memory; it's too much a part of me to forget. If I forgot my past, I would forget myself entirely, and that wouldn't…be…good._

"No, not jealous of me…" the faint smirk on his lips continued hovering there, knowing that it irritated her more than she let on. "You're jealous of _them_, aren't you? Those girls who keep coming over to talk to me…I know you don't like it," he shrugged, leaning back against the table behind him, the very image of relaxed poise. Miku gagged, and he knew that was a pretence to – he could read her thoughts, and he knew that even if she acted like she couldn't stand him, she secretly thought he was more attractive than she'd like.

"Go away, Len. You're annoying me, just in case you couldn't tell," she snapped at him, her voice filled with something that bordered on agitation. She whipped around and walked off in the opposite direction, towards Lenka Kagamine and Piko Utatane, who were having some discussion about – _did Lenka just mention something about coffee? _– their favourite drinks, it seemed. It wasn't an interesting topic. Len tuned them out.

"Hey," Gumi, who had been quiet the whole interaction between Miku and Len, suddenly spoke up, making the dream eater turn back to face her – he would have been surprised by the sudden acknowledgement by someone who had never spoken to him if he had not already known she would call him, right before any words left her mouth. "How do you know Miku, anyway?" she asked, her green eyes brimming with curiosity.

_Her eyes aren't exactly the same, they're a lighter shade of green and they don't have the same intensity and the same hidden vulnerability but…her eyes remind me of Miku._

"Oh, we met a little while back," he said vaguely. "I suppose you could say that it was a chance meeting of sorts…why?" he directed her questioning tone back at her. He was interested in what would cause Gumi, who up till this point had never spoken a word to him, to suddenly ask him about the relationship between him and Miku. He would have expected that from the pink haired girl who always seemed to be with her, actually. What was her name? Luka Megurine…the girl was Miku's best friend, it appeared. His jaw twitched slightly at the thought of the name – it was too familiar for his comfort.

"You seem to be…very familiar with her, don't you? For a new kid, that is," Gumi mentioned just as vaguely, but the narrowing of her green eyes and the piercing look she shot him belied that seeming casualness. Len tilted his head, smiling innocently at her – he was good at acting innocent, and now he put that all to the test. He could sense that this was a girl who was not entirely unlike him, that she worked more on logic than on intuition and emotion, and that it wouldn't be as easy to convince her of a lie.

"I only know her as much as I'd know any other classmate. I suppose it helps that Miku is my neighbour, actually," he fabricated the lie on the spot, delivering it with such steadfast earnestness that she hesitated for only a second before accepting what he said, albeit still with some suspicion. Len knew he was a suspicious figure, and was honestly a little bit surprised that no one else had called him out for that before today.

"You have flirt written all over your pretty face, Len Kagamine…" she murmured, rising from her chair. Len started – it had been some time since anyone referred to him by his full name, and that was something he was not used to. He stared at the girl, who was standing now, face tilted up to look at him – there was something defiant in the way her head tipped back, her chin raised, green eyes boring determinedly into him. "I'm just thankful that I'm leaving the class so I won't have to face what you do to the rest of them anymore. I hope that whoever comes in won't be a girl so she won't have to suffer, just like how the others do," she rolled her eyes a little, reminding him strongly of Miku.

"Suffer? They like it...most of them do," he answered, somewhat defensively. A faint smile crossed Gumi's lips, and her gaze fixed on something a little distance behind him – he knew without even turning that she was staring at Miku, who was still talking to Lenka and Piko and trying her very hardest to avoid looking at him.

"Miku doesn't like it," she pointed out. Len gritted his teeth at that statement – so he had to give Miku more credit than he did, that she was so plainly physically attracted to him yet could resist that same attraction and not throw herself at him the way other girls did. He knew he was handsome, and knew those good looks played their part in luring her in, fascinated by him but at the same time not wanting to get too close – she knew that underneath the glamour and the perfect looks, there was something about the dream eater that was more danger than class, more dark than good. But that was why she was a challenge to be conquered. It wouldn't be fun if she was like the rest.

Something else Gumi had said suddenly registered in Len's mind, and he spoke up, catching the green haired girl's attention – in the silent moments after her short little statement, her gaze had wandered, and she was no longer looking at him. "Wait. You said that there's a new student coming in to take your place in class?" he asked, somewhat brusquely. She nodded slowly, obviously wondering where this was going, and he frowned. "Do you have any idea who it is?" a faint possibility, but no harm trying.

Gumi shook her head, still looking curious all the while. "No, I don't have any idea who it is. The only reason why I even knew there was someone coming in to take my spot was because I overheard the teachers talking about it during break," she shrugged. Her green gaze continued lingering on him, and he could feel the yearning to know in that stare, wondering why he wanted to know – why would the new kid be interested in another new student when he seemed to fit in so well with the others? But he didn't answer the unspoken question, focusing instead on the implications of what she said.

He had no doubt whatsoever that the so-called 'new student' would be the new _baku_ – he always had a way of making use of opportunities when they presented themselves to him, and this would be no different. The dream eater had a remarkable ability to create chances where there were none, and Len was somewhat certain that Gumi's parents' decisions to leave the town were influenced, in part, by that same dream eater. But that didn't concern him as much as the fact that Gumi's seat was directly next to their shared person of concern. Len didn't want to share Miku, but how could he prevent that if the dream eater he was having this current conflict with happened to sit right next to her?

And this didn't spell well for Len at all. He had to admit, even if it was rather grudgingly, that there was almost nothing that the dream eater could not compare to Len in – they were almost equally skilled, almost equally feared in their world, and in terms of the physical, they were almost equally attractive (Len liked to think he was the better looking one, though of course that was rather subjective). They were fairly evenly matched, and it would be a tough struggle to attract Miku towards either one of them more – both of them could do the job of taking away her nightmares well. _But does he have the restraint borne of years, to not take too much at one go…?_ It wasn't something that _he_ would care about, since all that mattered were his own needs and his own desires. He wouldn't have to care about whether a single human girl went mad or not.

But to Len, it mattered. Because if she went mad, he wouldn't have a sustainable source anymore – mad people didn't dream, they didn't feel and didn't do anything that would help him and his needs. And something about the girl interested him, made him curious – he didn't want whatever it was about her that attracted him to be destroyed by the actions of a single dream eater. He couldn't possibly allow that to happen, could he?

"I see…okay, thank you," he said, somewhat absently, to Gumi, before he walked away from her to think, leaving her confused about his strange, unlike himself behaviour. If the other dream eater came, then it wouldn't spell well for Len at all, since he would have competition and that wasn't something he was used to. He didn't like the idea of having to fight with someone for what he already considered to be his, and have to entertain the possibility that he might very well lose what he already claimed.

His lips tilted up as, despite it all, one slightly more uplifting thought occurred to him – _at least no matter what, Miku's subconscious won't forget that she's mine._


	8. Chapter 8

A small smirk crossed his face, his blond hair whipped around in the wind. "Len seems to be rather _fond _of his new little plaything, isn't he?" he crooned to himself.

_Len Kagamine __– infamous among his own kind for the way he worked. He was cold and completely heartless, lacking any sympathy whatsoever – where other dream eaters, despite being emotionless, knew where to stop draining their dreamers, Len would not. He would torture and torment, he would taunt and tease, and he would leave his victims crying and begging for mercy, yet at the same time begging for more – they longed to have the sweet dreams he could provide, desired his influence and his wicked lies…_

Yes, sweet dreams were something that Len could provide, but of course that came with a price. Someone like Len Kagamine would never work for charity. Everything he did would come with a price – and what was the price that Len demanded? He desired the most _precious _thing of all – emotions and sentimentality. He cared little for riches or women or anything else that mortals might consider important – the only thing he wanted was emotion, and he would use any means possible to get what he wanted.

To some mortals, that was easy enough to give up. Some humans had completely no idea how to cherish and appreciate their own emotional capacity to feel, and gladly allowed him to siphon away all their emotional energy, leaving them as nothing but empty shells of their former selves. He wondered whether those humans ever regretted allowing Len to drain them like that, the only thing which the blond _baku _provided in exchange being a series of pretty pictures – for that was what good dreams all boiled down to in the end, wasn't it? They were nothing but a bunch of pretty pictures which had absolutely none of the emotional intensity horrible nightmares had. He wondered if those humans would rather have their nightmares back – but perhaps they did not have that wish, nor did they have regret. They had no emotions left afterwards, anyway.

Len took emotional energy and left his victims to be shells that resembled the _bakus _themselves, at least before they found out about the loophole in their curse which would allow them to have a semblance of feeling. Len was truly unfeeling and cared only for himself – to him, there was nothing wrong with taking everything away from a human, because that was _exactly what they asked for. _The only one who mattered in his world was himself, which was why he didn't even feel the slightest twinge, or illusion of a twinge, of guilt – why would he feel guilty when he didn't care about anyone else?

And that lack of care…that absolutely lack of sympathy was probably one reason why everyone feared the nightmare eater so much. Everyone other him, of course – he had nothing to fear from Len. What did he have to fear when he was so much like him? The two of them were the same kind. Oh, it wasn't that he disliked or hated Len or anything like that, the reason why he always antagonised him – was it possible for him to dislike Len when they, as dream eaters, were incapable of feeling emotion of their own accord?

But he did think that it was a nice break, to challenge the other nightmare eater and ruffle his feathers a little. It made a good, entertaining distraction from the monotony of living and being unable to die. Sure, other _bakus _were immortal as well – but he really could not die, and for a reason that was solely his own fault. He knew he was unable to blame anyone else for his mishap, but that was something he had come to accept a long time ago. Now, his only alternative was to find things, events, which would provide a distraction – something to take his mind off things, even if for only a while. And Len Kagamine, the most feared _baku_ among their brethren, was the perfect distraction.

Once again, his lips tilted up into a smile, though the smile was as emotionless as always – there was only one sort of smile he had perfected, a slight almost, but not quite, smirk. Any other kind of smile on his face still looked a little unnatural if you stared at it for too long, but this only applied to _smiles. _He was fine with any other facial expression. _I wonder how much Len has changed throughout the centuries…well, I'll need to wait and see if I want to observe that. Meanwhile, let's take a look at his new plaything, shall we?_

The _baku_ leapt off the edge of the rooftop, freefalling down the side of the house – languidly, he reached out, his fingers latching around the top of the window, the flimsy looking window perfectly capable of supporting his weight – effortlessly, he swung himself up into the girl's room and landed lightly on his feet, brushing himself down. He took a look around and saw what appeared to be a very generic human room – a bed, a dressing table, a wardrobe, a door that led to what he assumed to be a toilet – nothing that differentiated this human girl from any other girl. He shook his head, having expected more – but then perhaps he ought to take a look at the human girl herself.

He took a soft step – his motions were fluid and catlike, and completely quiet. It was not necessary of course, she could not see him, but he found it to be a precaution he could not afford to miss. As he neared the teal haired girl – she was sitting on the bed with her back facing him, and all he could see was a long thick mass of teal hair – he caught a whiff of her scent. It wafted over to him, the smell of warm vanilla, and his eyes widened at the sweet fragrance – _she smells really good, doesn't she? Len did find a treasure._

He was almost right next to her bed when the girl – she was so still that he thought she was sleeping while sitting up – suddenly whipped around, her eyes wide with alarm. Her eyes were a very pretty shade of green, he noted, something between the dark, deep green of the forest and the lighter green of emeralds, flecked through with little bits of dark blue if he looked close enough – or perhaps that was him seeing things in the very bright, manmade lights. He wrinkled his nose – he had never liked the harsh lighting of mortal lamps. "Who's there?" she called out, and he retreated, feeling startled by that.

Could she actually sense his presence? He knew she could not possibly see him, not when he had masked himself with darkness and the night – he was totally invisible to mortals now, and only another dream eater could possibly see him. Nevertheless, he warily stayed away from her as she rose from the bed, taking tiny, hesitant steps across the room to stand next to the open window. She laughed nervously, looking out of the window at the night sky outside – looking out for intruders? It explained the nervous little laugh – but he was starting to wonder how perceptive this human really was.

"There's no one around, not in this room or outside," she murmured to herself, her voice shaking slightly. "You're just scaring yourself. Don't be silly, you're a big girl already and Len already took away all your nightmares, right? So you shouldn't still be fearing the things that go bump in the dark and all the make-believe monsters that hide under the bed," she was trying to reassure herself. It was rather strange to hear someone talking to herself as though she was a third person. Her words didn't sound very reassuring to him either, perhaps it was due to the underlying tremor he could hear in her words.

She had definitely sensed the presence of someone in her room, and he knew it could not possibly be mere paranoia. The kind of fear that sparked in those emerald eyes wasn't borne of suspicion – she _knew _there was someone here, though she chose to think that she was just imagining things. Did she sense him? But he could not see how that was possible, not when he had cloaked himself in shadows and darkness. No mere mortal could see a _baku _when he was hidden in blankets of the night, especially not when it was nearing the midnight hour like it was now. Midnight was when they were at their most powerful, and even the most intuitive humans shouldn't sense him now…

Night time, midnight, was when the _bakus _came out to play and entertain themselves. It was when they were at their most powerful – of course, dream eaters would be strong at times where dreams were abundant, and that would be at night of course, would it not? He was starting to wonder how special this girl was – if she was capable of feeling his presence when he was cloaked in darkness, especially at the hour where he was at his most powerful then…_oh, it is little wonder that Len is so possessive about her. I would like to get my hands on someone so special…someone who is so very intuitive too._

Was it possible that she was more than just human? That was actually entirely plausible, the _baku _mused. Some humans were, after all, more…psychic? Was that the right word? Mere intuition alone was not enough to delve so deeply into the world of the other. She had to have some psychic ability to be able to feel his presence in this state. Some humans _were _born with psychic ability, and were branded as witches as a result – these people were usually descended from the gypsies, since gypsies, for some reason, did appear to have a deeper connection to magic and nature than most humans.

Well, for whatever reason she was different, it didn't matter to him – what mattered was that, indeed, she was unique and…strong. She was a strong dreamer, he was certain of that though he had never tasted her dreams before, of course – he could not do that unless the dreamer willingly allowed him inside, and she had yet to do that…_yet_. He would see to it that eventually, she let him inside, let him have a taste of vivid emotion and dreams – for something this good couldn't possibly be just kept all to one person alone, could it? Now that would be remarkably _selfish _of Len, to just…keep her.

There was little other reason for him to stay in the room, so he slinked over to the window, swinging himself onto the sill. He turned back, casting the teal haired mortal a last, lingering look – she stiffened when he looked at her, and he wondered if she could feel his eyes upon her back. Shrugging, he let himself fall off the windowsill, landing perfectly on the tips of his toes, not making a single dent in the lush carpet of grass. He reached up, running his fingers through his hair and making sure every strand was back in position, before he snapped his fingers and removed the night shield that blocked him from mortal view – there was no one to hide from out here in the dark, and maintaining the shield would just drain his powers unnecessarily. He would prefer not to do that.

His light, ash-blond hair glimmered faintly in the silver light of the moon, and he turned back to look up at the window he just jumped out of. He could see through the glass, the faint silhouette of the girl pacing back and forth in her room. He wondered what exactly she was waiting for – she had the air of someone waiting, that expectant air. He guessed it would probably be Len, coming to take his nightly share of nightmares from her. Poor girl, being trapped in a deal with such a nightmare eater…he knew he could make things better, he knew that if she were to ever enter a deal with him instead of Len, she would prefer him so much more. He certainly wouldn't drain her dry like Len…well, probably.

"I say, Len, you've really obtained a gem, haven't you?" he murmured, still looking up at the window. He saw her moving towards the window and promptly made himself scarce, hiding under her porch but standing at an angle where he could still see her – she was looking out into the night sky, an expression of anxiety on her face. "It pains me greatly to see that you do not wish to share – how could you disregard the well-being of the rest of our brethren this way?" he placed his hand against his heart, feigning hurt.

"I wouldn't be able to care anyway, even if I wanted to," a very familiar voice – familiar though he had not heard it in a long, long time – spoke up from behind him. The voice was flat and cold, and he slowly turned around, knowing exactly who the speaker was. There was only one person who dared, and was capable of, sneaking up behind him like that, and that same person would wish that he disappeared from his sight right there and then. Too bad for this dream eater that he refused to leave – he was not going to be evicted and nothing the _baku_ did could force him out, not when he was…_intrigued._

"Why, hello Len," he chirped, meeting the eyes of the other _baku _– Len Kagamine stood there, his face blank though there was narrowed suspicion in those dark blue eyes. But he knew that the suspicion was nothing but a show – by themselves, _bakus _were not capable of feeling or experiencing emotion. "It's nice to see that you're looking well…you don't look like you've aged at all since the last time I saw you, which was…I don't know, a century ago maybe?" he shrugged, knowing that the small talk would bother Len. A slow smirk curved his lips – then if it bothered Len, it would probably drain his energy.

Emotional energy, the leftovers that they siphoned from dreamers and kept in their beings, was what fed their magical powers and what gave them the ability to act like they could feel. With emotional energy, they could channel and siphon it throughout their bodies, giving them the illusion that they _could _feel, that they did experience anger and happiness and sadness and all sorts of other emotions that had been stripped away from them, way back in the past. But this pool of emotional energy they had was neither eternal nor everlasting – if they didn't keep draining dreamers, they would run out of that emotional energy and eventually, they would go back to their former shells.

"What are you doing here?" as always, Len went straight into the main point of the conversation, not bothering with any niceties or pleasantries whatsoever. In the human world, should he ever have to interact with humans, Len liked to give off the impression that he was capricious and playful, his temperament ever changing – one moment he was nice and warm, the other moment he was cold and aloof. However, with his own kind, Len never bothered to keep up this image. He was removed, distant and business-like throughout any interactions with his brethren, since Len apparently didn't think that his kind was worth him making use of his emotional energy to _pretend _for.

With _bakus_, Len offered no illusion whatsoever of niceness. He was incredibly formal and he didn't let emotion rule him at all. He was methodical and practical, so much that he did unspeakable things as long as they benefited him. His name was used to scare _baku _children into sleeping at night. He was the monster that hid under the bed at night, he was the one who would spring out from your cupboard and throttle you while you slept. Len was a mixture of everything that you feared when you were child, and the scariest part was how he came in a perfect package – he beckoned through fear in the guise of a handsome boy, one who would never make you think that he was dangerous…

However, all that didn't mean he was frightened of Len. How could he be? Rather, he somewhat admired that ruthless spirit, especially since he shared that spirit – again, he thought about how similar they were, how they were the same kind of people, and he wondered if Len was proud of being like him. Or was it the other way round, since Len was older than him? He was every bit as ruthless as Len, the only difference between them being that he was more willing to use his emotional energy to fake feelings than Len was. "I was observing your little pet, of course. She seems…rather interesting. Did you know," he whispered conspiratorially, "she could sense me while I was shielded?"

Len stiffened at that new bit of information. "I didn't know she could do that," he said, the spark of bewilderment in his eyes though his voice sounded completely dead – there it was, another sign of how _bakus _were simply incapable of feeling emotion. "There has never been a human who was able to feel our presence when we're shielded…and at midnight, no less," he glanced up at the night sky. "But how would that interest you in any way?" he returned his attention to him, gaze piercing. "You don't…collect people."

He shrugged. "You're right, I don't collect people," he said simply. "But I like it…I mean, knowing that my next meal and vessel will be so special and unique, maybe absorbing the emotional energy I can feel her _brimming _with would make me more powerful?" his eyes gleamed in the dark. "And becoming more powerful has, as you always knew," he continued in a sing-song manner, "been one of my…more fanciful goals, you could say."

At those words, Len instantly bared his teeth at him, hostility suddenly written all over his face. "Don't you dare touch what belongs to me," he snarled, and he blinked, feeling rather surprised – Len was so willing to expend emotional energy on getting angry with _him_, just because of this human girl? "She is _mine _– I found her first and I've already entered a deal with her. You should know better than to interfere with our contract."

The fact that Len even bothered about this girl at all, and didn't want to share this dreamer, implied that he was keeping her for longer than just one night. And Len rarely kept his dreamers for longer than a few nights. It had to be someone pretty special for Len to not just drain the dreamer dry and cast them to the asylum – which meant that the girl herself was an _excellent _food source, perhaps one which would even run on into eternity. And he was determined not to let go of an emotional source that could be _that _long-lasting. He would never have to hunt around for another emotional dreamer again.

And as for the whole contract part of the agreement…well, he didn't have to care, did he? Since when had _he _ever paid attention to deals and contracts? He was the kind of dream eater who just swooped in and took whatever he wanted, to hell with any pre-existing contracts between the dreamer and other _bakus. _Even for Len, he would not make an exception; he had laid eyes on something that would definitely be good for him, and it would be ridiculously stupid if he were to give such an opportunity up, right?

So all he did in response to Len's angry threat was smirk. "Having a contract is all very fine and well, but…since when have I ever paid attention to any deals?" he asked softly before disappearing in the very next instant. He caught a glimpse of Len's face right before he left the area, and the look on his face then was absolutely priceless. He choked back a laugh – things were about to get a whole lot more entertaining around here, and that was good. This sleepy little town could do with more things to liven it up a little.

He would absolutely love to see who Len reacted when he realised _he _had finally stolen Miku Hatsune right out from under his nose. He had no doubt that Len would react in a most spectacular manner. He was already certain of himself and his success in stealing the girl away, for he took into consideration how much she sparked his curiosity. He had never wanted to taste the dreams of another so badly before – had never encountered another human who seemed to be so unique and special, and he didn't want to let this girl slip through his fingers. She made him feel curiosity, a genuine emotion for once.

_Bakus _were difficult to spark emotion in, but once they were hooked by something, they would never let go of that thing or person which triggered their insatiable curiosity.


	9. Chapter 9

Len was fuming – or, more accurately, he was attempting to work himself up into a fit of anger. He just simply couldn't feel it, which _should _annoy him all the more but all he could feel was…well, basically nothing. He truly could not stand their lack of emotion.

"That infernally idiotic _baku_, how dare he challenge me," he muttered to himself, words that were spoken in a dead voice which belied the venom that lay in what he said. "I wonder when he's going to come to the school?" that was added as an afterthought, again spoken out loud to himself. "Probably tomorrow, I suppose…" he answered his own question. "That girl, what's her name, Gumi…she's leaving tomorrow, after all."

_Talking to yourself – you do know that's the first sign of insanity, right? _Len heaved a heavy sigh, looking up from the grass that seemed black in the night – it was a full moon tonight. He gazed up into the empty, cold white orb, and a small smile crossed his face. He liked the full moon; it was a beautiful thing, and it brought a bittersweet (or a faint memory of what bittersweet felt like) ache to his heart. It made him think of the past and how his kind was once able to appreciate beauty and live their lives to the fullest. _But then that's not possible anymore. Now all we see and feel is a farce of what we had._

Len Kagamine was not considered an old _baku_. There were plenty of others who were far, far older than he was. There were dream gods who had lived for millennia, gods who had existed since the very dawn of time and the gods itself. He was, compared to them, nothing but a single grain in the sands of time, given his relatively youthful age of approximately six centuries, but he was so much more notorious than them. He was well-known for all the wrong things, and the reason why was simple – for he was Len Kagamine, nightmare eater and one of the most ruthless their world had ever seen.

Lightly, taking great care to not make a single sound, Len leapt up onto the ledge of the ground floor window. He arched up on his tiptoes so that his fingers were _just _able to grasp on to the ledge of the next floor window. Ensuring that he had a decent hold on the wooden bar, he closed his eyes and swung his body out into the empty air, letting go when he flipped up to the highest point of the arc – the momentum of the swing brought him further up so that he landed gracefully on the very edge of the windowsill. Giving himself a few seconds so he could catch his balance, he paused for just the briefest of moments before he stepped forward into the by-now familiar room that was beyond.

She heard him step down into her room – she must have, because she whipped around almost before he could look up, her slender hands clasped over her heart, her green eyes wide with something that seemed almost like fear. She stared at him for just a few seconds before seeming to let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, Len…it's just you," she exhaled.

"Why such relief – did you think it might have been someone else?" he asked, tilting his head and watching her curiously, a small smirk curving his lips. "A secret lover perhaps, someone I don't have any idea about, hmm?" he asked, sliding just a little closer, his blue eyes meeting hers. He thought that it would fluster her, for she was so easily affected by what he said especially if he hinted at things he knew not to be true, but for once she didn't rise to the bait, her emerald eyes still shimmering with the same almost-fear which had been on her face when she first shot around to see who had invaded her room. Instead, she stared back at him, not saying anything at all, which made him stop.

"No, no, not a lover of any sort…" she finally whispered, her green eyes flicking away from him, refusing to meet his gaze. "Of course not anything of that sort – I just…I just thought there might have been someone else. I don't know, because…because earlier I sort of felt there was someone else watching me in my room earlier, someone strange and unfamiliar and most certainly not you, but I don't know whether or not I should trust my intuition about this," she laughed shakily. "It's wrong most of the time anyway. Forget it," she finally brushed the matter off. "I was just imagining things as always."

He blinked, feeling a little surprised – and that spoke for just how shocking this whole matter was, because Len never felt surprised. _She was able to tell that there was someone in the room, and that the person wasn't me? _He didn't know what to make of this piece of information; he had never encountered another human so intuitive before, not even the gypsy girls who had always been strangely in tune with nature and magic. No other human was capable of sensing a _baku _when he was cloaked in darkness, and there should not have been any way for her to identify who the hidden person was at all.

But he didn't want to draw her attention to how special she was, didn't want to let her know what she just did was something extraordinary for a mortal. "It must have been your imagination, yes," he said easily, building on her self-delusion. "There couldn't possibly have been someone else in here; after all, you didn't see anyone in this room other than me and yourself, right?" he asked probingly. After some hesitation, she nodded, and he smiled. It was a smile, not a smirk. "It's late now," he turned his head, glancing at the nearby clock. "Why are you still up, Miku? Humans should be asleep."

"I was…I was waiting for you," she mumbled the truth, again to his surprise – he had expected her to come up with some kind of excuse. Her cheeks had flared a faint shade of rose. "I mean, I was waiting for you to come so that you would fulfil your side of the bargain," she defended herself – _ah, there's the excuse I was expecting. _"I wouldn't want to wait for you for any other reason," she added, clearly trying to explain over the slip up she made just now. _I don't want him to think I like him or anything like that…_he could practically hear her thinking aloud, he didn't even have to specially read her thoughts.

She was so defensive and so incredibly stubborn. He would delight in tearing her walls down and making her succumb entirely to him – he knew himself the best, he knew that he would not settle for anything less than her absolute surrender. "Well, you didn't have to wait up just for me to come and do as I promised," he purred. "You should know me by now, Miku – I've never broken a single one of my promises now, have I?" he slid a little closer to her, his eyes narrowing slightly. She took a small step back from him.

Her eyes narrowed at him and she stopped moving back once she saw the smirk curve his lips, noticing and judging her reaction to his nearness. "You can say whatever you want, Len Kagamine," she said sharply. "Unfortunately, I don't know you well enough to decide whether or not I can trust your words. Let's just get this over and done with so that I can go to sleep – I'm tired and I don't have the energy to play your word games." It was an almost convincing show of bravado but he could see past it to her nervousness.

"No, of course you wouldn't have the energy," he agreed with her patiently, his smirk softening into a more amiable smile. She stared at him suspiciously, hesitantly side-stepping past him to her bed. She almost dashed under the covers once she was past him, and that just made his smile widen – was she really that terrified of him? It was amusing to see someone so frightened when he hadn't even done anything to her. The amount of control and influence he possibly had over her was something which intrigued him. He didn't know how hard and how much he could push her, and he wondered if now was a good time to try, when she was still so fearful and wary of him.

Len moved closer to her until he was right next to her bed, and gently he reached out, pulling the blankets up so that they were tucked up right under her chin and she was nestled safely in bed, her green eyes still wide and staring up at him. She looked so fragile and breakable at that moment, the complete opposite of everything he was, and in that one second he was struck by the urge to take her into his arms and hold her close for she looked so transient that he thought she might disappear at any moment. It was not exactly a thought he wanted, and he shook his head – the yearning disappeared.

"Well then, good night Miku," he murmured, watching her as her full lips parted into a small yawn, her eyelids fluttering as they drooped shut, hiding the green orbs of her eyes. "Have sweet dreams, since they're all you ever want and they are the only things I ever promised you – but in the midst of all your fun, don't forget our deal, hmm?"

Her eyes were already closed, and he knew that she had fallen asleep before she could hear the last part of his sentence. His lips were still curved up into that little knowing smile – now that she was in her dreams, perhaps he could be allowed to take a look.

* * *

><p>Somehow, Miku already knew that Len was going to appear in her dreams. She had no idea at all how she knew this would happen – she just knew that he had promised her he would appear in her dreams, and Len Kagamine never, ever broke his promises.<p>

She blinked, startled by what she knew yet did not know at the same time. _That is so strange – since when did he ever promise me anything like that? I don't recall this._

Before she could focus more on that missing piece of her memory, she heard a very familiar, soft and above it all, _seductive _purr from behind her – she whipped around, and there was Len, standing casually there like her dreams were exactly where he belonged. "Did you miss me, my sweet?" he asked, his dark blue eyes sparkling with mischief. His eyes were intense, staring right into hers, and she felt like she was drowning in those depths. He had the most hypnotising stare, something that was both lovely and deadly.

"Len…" her fingers curled up into fists, balled up on either side of her body. There was a gentle breeze blowing, making the tall grasses of the meadow they were in wave against her bare legs. She looked down, surprised – she was in a simple white dress which ended a little distance above her knees. She remembered this piece. It was the white dress she was wearing the day she lost her innocence. She had discarded the piece of out disgust and fear, to try and rid herself of the bad memories – once the familiar revulsion started to return, she forced herself to look back up. She didn't want to think of bad memories now, not in her dreams. _It's a lovely dress, _she tried to convince herself. "_Isn't it a pity that it's already tainted and corrupted by your experiences?" _her thoughts whispered bitterly, and she forced the errant thoughts away, not wanting them around. So instead, she focused on Len again. "Why am I not surprised that you're here?"

He just continued staring at her – his gaze hadn't shifted at all in the time she spent looking away from him, and she fidgeted, starting to feel faintly uncomfortable. Finally, his lips parted, and she almost didn't hear the soft whisper which issued out of his mouth – "You aren't surprised because you remember who I am," was what he said. Before she could make sense of that, she felt his arms wrapping around her body, his hand tilting her chin, and then his mouth was covering hers, an urgent, needy kiss.

He was aggressive and completely dominant, taking advantage of her absolute shock to ravish her, but despite his dominance he was strangely sweet. She had no idea how she ought to respond to the unexpected kiss – should she slap him, push him away, kiss him back? But the longer she stood there, unsure and hesitant, the more she could feel herself just melting into his touch, and before long she just followed what her body instinctively wanted her to do, her arms wrapping around his lean waist, her lips parting so that he could access her mouth. She could taste him, his unique, minty refreshing taste – his breath was cool, and he reminded her of winter, crisp and fresh.

Miku had never liked the cold much, but she found that she liked his kiss, the coolness of his lips against hers, the shockingly freezing mint that burnt her lips. She found that she was strangely enjoying his touch, and that for once, his body was warm against hers. It was very odd because he was always so much colder than she was. She remembered that he was cooler than her, his smooth skin always a few degrees lower than hers.

No matter how much she enjoyed the kiss though, she soon admitted that she needed to breathe. "Stop," she gasped out, taking in big gulps of air once she parted from him, pushing his shoulders slightly so she could hold herself away from his reach. "You…we need to stop," she insisted, not missing the look of instant denial which crossed his face at her words. This was not a Len she was used to. The Len she knew was playful and teasing but in an almost malicious manner. This Len was warm, almost…likeable.

"But I don't want to stop," he murmured, his fingers reaching up – lightly, just very, very lightly, the tips of his fingers brushed against her cheek. "I don't ever want to stop," he breathed out. "Do you have any idea how tiring it is, Miku? Having to make you forget about your dream every single night, having to ensure you won't remember a single thing in the morning, much less the fact that I was even in your dream – I am so sick and tired of doing that, Miku. But then if I don't, you'll remember it all, and that's something which I cannot afford at the moment," he mused, more to himself than to her.

"What do you mean, made me forget?" she demanded, realising what he had just said and also realising the implications of his words. "What have you been doing to me the past few nights, Len?" she pressed on for an answer when she saw his eyes narrow, his lips purse together mutinously. "Have you been _invading _my dreams the past few –"

"No, no, of course not," he interrupted her mid-tirade, shaking his head vigorously. "Why would I play around in your dreams when there are so many other people with excellent nightmares for me to play around in? Your dreams are nothing but a bunch of pretty pictures – I'd rather go on for something which intrigues and fascinates me. And the only thing which can do that is a nightmare. Pretty, sweet dreams don't interest me in the slightest and I trust that is something you should know by now, right?" his words softened. "Now I want you to forget about everything which I ever said," he whispered.

Before she could ask him anything at all, he faded away into nothing, and she felt her body jerking forward into empty space – when she found her balance, she was no longer in the meadow they were in earlier. She was now in the middle of a fancy looking restaurant, a smart-looking waiter serving her a platter of fresh oysters squeezed over with lemon juice – but the boy she wanted, Len, was absolutely nowhere to be seen. She swallowed, looking down at the plate of fresh shellfish before her – she wasn't hungry.

_But Len…what if I don't want to forget?_


	10. Chapter 10

Miku answered the door, desperately trying to undo all the knots and tangles in her hair. The door swung open, and there stood Len Kagamine, with his dark blonde hair and his midnight blue eyes. There was a teasing smirk on his face, and his hands were shoved into the pockets of his pants. ''Morning, Miku,'' he chirped brightly. ''You look...tired.''

''Shut up and go away, Len,'' she slammed the door shut in his face. There was an answering laugh from outside, and then impatiently he rapped on the door again. Miku tried to ignore him, but the knocking just grew louder and more frenzied until she could no longer ignore it. She sighed loudly.

_Stupid _baku, _annoying me so early in the morning. Especially after I forgot all my dreams. Again. For the third night._

She opened the door, and Len slipped in before she could close it once more. She frowned at him, then walked into the kitchen to pour herself some cornflakes.

Len followed after her, watching her eat her cereal with a strangely intent stare. To tell the truth, he was starting to creep her out a little. ''Why are you watching me?''

''You're cute,'' came the absent reply. Miku stared at him, startled, then he blinked and shook his head. ''And I want to make sure you don't run away from me today,'' he winked.

She rolled her eyes at his comment. ''Like I could,'' she muttered. ''You know exactly where I live. Even if I wanted to run away, I couldn't,'' she shot him a baleful glare.

He smirked, but then just as quickly the smirk disappeared. ''I've been meaning to ask you,'' his voice had lost its playful tone, becoming more serious, ''the first night I took away your nightmares, there was one that kept reappearing...the one, with the man who kept doing...'' his voice trailed off.

Miku stiffened, her eyes narrowing. ''What about it?'' was all she said, though she felt as though something was shrivelling, dying inside her. He glanced up at her from beneath his long eyelashes, looking almost worried.

''Who was he?'' he asked, his voice a strange mixture of caution and worry. She avoided his gaze, not wanting to talk about it. _He knew about my nightmares? Why didn't he tell me? He probably thinks I'm dirty now..._

''Why do you want to know?'' she asked sullenly. Len's fingers caught her chin, tilting her face up, and she was forced to meet his stare.

''You're my human,'' his voice now was cool and calm. ''And I think I deserve the right to know what happened before, in the past. Your business is mine, Miku - I'm the _baku _who eats all of your bad dreams, remember?''

''How could I possibly forget?'' she retorted, feeling as though she couldn't breathe. His eyes softened, becoming almost gentle.

''You can tell me. I won't scorn you, not even if I knew. It's not your fault. It was his, and he deserves to rot in hell for what he did.''

She was startled by the vehemence of his words, and nervously she bit on her lower lip. ''That man...that man was my uncle,'' she said hesitantly, the words heavy, leaving her lips unwillingly. His fingers caressed her cheek.

''Is he still alive?'' Len's fingers were cool against her skin, and she wondered why he was suddenly being so kind. Why had he waited until today to ask her about her nightmares, if he had seen them the very first night?

''Yes, but he's in jail now, serving a ten year sentence,'' she glanced down at the floor. ''I never want to see him again,'' she added softly. His fingers went to stroke her hair.

''I understand how you feel,'' he whispered, and she looked up at him, confused at the way he was talking to her. This was new. Len was usually cocky and playful - she rarely ever heard him sound so serious.

Len didn't understand his own actions. The frightened expression on her face demanded that he comfort her, so he did what he could. After last night, he realised he cared about her, cared enough that he didn't want to risk the other _baku _stealing her away from him.

He had cared enough that he had decided to ask her about her disturbing nightmares, the vivid ones he had first taken from her, the very first night they had met. He had wondered whether they were imaginary, or actual experiences.

Seeing the terror in her large green eyes now made him feel that those nightmares were borne of personal experience. And he hated that she had suffered so much. No child deserved to be treated that way, not by their own flesh-and-blood kin.

Especially not when said child was his Miku Hatsune. ''He won't ever come back to haunt you again. You have my word on that.''

''I can only hope that will be true,'' she murmured. Her eyes darted up to meet his. ''What's the real reason you're here, Len?'' she sounded suspicious. ''Just to ask me that?''

And immediately, he reverted to his usual playful self. ''No, I'm here to feed you your breakfast,'' he took her spoon, which was stuck in her soggy cornflakes, and then held it up. ''Say ah,'' he smiled. She exhaled and snatched the spoon away from him.

''You're so annoying,'' she huffed as she swallowed the soggy mess on her spoon. Her eyes met his shyly, and quickly they darted away. Len tilted his head.

He wanted to walk her to school today, and make sure she didn't talk to the other _baku. _Len wouldn't put it past the other one to find Miku on her way to school and charm her with his glib tongue. Len snorted. Not that he was a very persuasive talker, in Len's opinion.

Miku stared at him curiously, and Len let his gaze drift away, out of the kitchen window. ''Are you done with your breakfast? Because you're taking an awfully long time.''

''Shut up and go away, Len.''

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

Miku sat in her seat, daydreaming. Len had walked her to school, which was odd because he had only ever done that one other time before. She didn't complain, though - Len could be irritating, but he could be funny, too.

And this morning. Why had he comforted her, acted like he was concerned for her? That wasn't how he usually acted, and she wondered what had changed for the _baku._

Miku glanced at the empty seat next to hers and sighed. Gumi had left last night, with her parents, and now Miku would probably never see her friend again. Not until the holidays, at the very least. And she already missed Gumi and her dry, sharp wit. At least there would be someone else coming in today...

_Don't talk to the new blonde, later. _She blinked, suddenly hearing the warning resound in her mind. She turned around to stare at Len, but he was looking elsewhere, clearly not paying attention to her. She frowned. Where had those words come from, then? They seemed almost like...a memory...

Their teacher walked in then, and there was a boy walking in behind her. He was tall and lean, with ash blonde hair and blue-grey eyes. He was handsome in a...charming sort of way. Like Prince Charming, from the fairy tales. He looked like the playful type, fond of fun. His eyes met hers, and he smiled. She smiled back.

''There's a new student, joining us today,'' their teacher announced. Once again, Miku turned back in her seat to see Len's reaction. His expression was stony-faced as he stared at the blonde boy - Miku wondered why. ''Why not introduce yourself?'' their teacher asked.

The boy grinned. ''Gladly.'' His voice was smooth and mesmerising, almost lilting. ''My name's SeeWoo,'' he captured Miku's gaze once more, his full lips tilting up into a wicked grin. ''Nice to meet you all.''


	11. Chapter 11

''Miku, would you mind showing SeeWoo around the school later?'' their teacher asked. ''Since he's going to sit next to you, anyway.''

Miku blinked. ''Me?'' her voice was halting, even to her own ears. ''Oh...okay, I guess,'' she shot the new boy a look. He grinned back at her, his lips tilted up into a teasing smirk.

Languidly, he began strolling towards the empty seat next to hers. His movements were lithe and nimble, almost cat-like, and Miku couldn't help but notice how graceful he was. _Strange, I never knew a boy could be graceful._

Almost lazily, he collapsed into the chair, looking as though he couldn't be bothered to be here. Yawning, he ran his long fingers through his ash-blonde hair. ''Hey.''

''Hi...'' Miku murmured, suddenly recalling the warning in her head earlier. _Don't talk to the new blonde. _Where had she heard that from? And how had whoever told her the warning known that SeeWoo would be blonde?

Maybe it had come to her in a dream, the warning, and she had subconsciously remembered it. Maybe the warning didn't refer to SeeWoo? Maybe it was a coincidence, that SeeWoo was blonde. SeeWoo seemed nice enough - it wasn't like he was a gangster or anything. At least, not for now.

''So your name's Miku, right?'' the new boy drawled, his voice smooth and silky. Again, he reminded her of a cat, the way his voice was like a velvet purr. She nodded, turning to glance at him. He looked bored.

''Miku Hatsune,'' she offered her full name. ''Is your name just SeeWoo?'' She had encountered people without last names before, but not many of them. Clearly, SeeWoo was another.

He nodded sleepily. ''I know, it's pretty weird,'' he shrugged, like he couldn't care less. ''But it's my name, so whatever about that,'' he shot her a small smile. ''Not going to ask me about why I suddenly came into this school?''

Miku felt her cheeks warm at his teasing tone. He was handsome, she realised - as handsome as Len was, even. She had no doubt that there would be girls clinging onto him, just like Len had. And hearing all those girls cooing over them...it just annoyed Miku no end.

''Well, if you want to tell me, then that's okay,'' she mumbled. ''I won't mind either way.'' She ducked her head as their teacher turned from the whiteboard, casting the class a cursory glance. Seeing that no one was talking, he resumed teaching, and she exhaled.

''Really? You sound like you're pretty interested to know why,'' the boy teased. She shot him a look, filled with disbelief, then huffed and turned to stare at their teacher as he rambled on about some topic for maths.

''Hey, don't be like that. I'm sorry for teasing you, okay?'' SeeWoo sounded contrite, and she felt her lips tilt up into a smile. ''But you're cute when you're upset...just saying.''

She felt her cheeks warm again. How was he doing this? ''Fine. Tell me why you came here, then. There's a reason, isn't there?'' She bit her tongue - she hadn't meant to make it sound like an interrogation.

He shrugged. ''I'm here to have fun with Len,'' he drawled. Miku's eyes widened, and her head snapped to the side to stare, startled, at the boy. He shot her a lazy grin.

''How do you know Len?'' she questioned. ''You're referring to Len Kagamine, aren't you?'' she bit nervously on her lower lip.

''The one and only,'' he nodded. ''As for how I know him...well, we share the same brethren, after all,'' he smirked at her look of shock.

_SeeWoo is a _baku _like Len? What's another _baku _doing here? As if one alone wasn't enough trouble, now there's another..._

''Why are you here?'' she could hear her own voice harden, and he sighed at her change in tone. His blue-grey eyes were wicked.

''You're not going to be all cold to me now that you know I'm not like you, right?'' he pouted. ''I mean, _bakus _aren't all the same, you know. I'm not all cold and distant like Len is.''

Miku could tell. ''But you're not human. I don't understand why you _bakus _suddenly have such an interest in school...to the point that you pretend to be human, to enter school.''

''You hurt my feelings,'' he smirked. He placed a hand over his heart, in a mockery of hurt, and she rolled her eyes at the _baku's _antics. Strange, she felt so at ease around him - around Len, she felt suspicious, constantly on guard. Around SeeWoo, another _baku, _she didn't feel the need to always be wary.

Maybe it was because she wasn't trapped in a contract with him, like how she was with Len. Or maybe it was simply because SeeWoo really was much nicer and friendlier than Len was.

''You won't refuse to be my friend just because I'm a _baku, _not a human, right?'' SeeWoo asked, sounding almost vulnerable. Miku blinked, wondering whether that vulnerability was real or faked. _He's a _baku...

''I guess not,'' she admitted. ''So long as you prove to me that you're not a jerk, like how Len can be,'' she added, as an after-thought.

''_Bakus _are all different, just like how humans are all different. You shouldn't lump us all in the same group just because you only knew one _baku, _at the time,'' SeeWoo sighed. ''It's not us. He has personality issues, you know?''

''I know,'' Damn, why was this _baku _making her feel so _guilty? _''But you have a purpose for being here, right? I mean...you're not human. You shouldn't be here,'' she muttered.

''I'm here to play with Len,'' he smiled guilelessly, lacing his fingers together and propping his chin on his hands. ''Don't you believe me when I say that?''

''What game do you have in mind?'' Miku cast a discreet glance back at Len. Len was staring emotionlessly at SeeWoo, his midnight blue eyes completely devoid of feeling. Miku had never seen Len look so...calm before, and she had to wonder what he was thinking.

It was odd, though he looked serene, why did she feel like he was plotting something? His posture was just too _still, _almost _tensed, _like he was just waiting for something to happen.

SeeWoo's blue-grey eyes flicked back, following her gaze. ''He looks as though he's deep in thought, doesn't he?'' the _baku _whispered. ''In this world, though, you can't think for too long or too hard...you'll end up falling into a trap of your own creation, and you won't be able to get out.'' SeeWoo licked his lips, almost hungrily.

''What do you mean?'' Miku murmured, lowering her voice as their teacher turned back to face the class. SeeWoo smirked.

''Which do you think is better, Miku? Thought or speed?'' With that cryptic comment, the _baku _turned his head to stare out of the window. Miku followed his gaze, watching the black storm clouds roll in. Strange, it had been sunny just moments ago. The drastic change in weather unnerved her.

''It's raining,'' SeeWoo whispered, as raindrops began to hit against the window panes. ''I wonder...will this become a storm?''


	12. Chapter 12

''And that's the library,'' Miku pointed at the...well, the library. She turned around to make sure SeeWoo was listening. He was staring boredly at her, and stretching he stifled a yawn, nodding sleepily at her words.

Miku frowned. Was she really so boring that SeeWoo couldn't force himself to stay awake, even while she was showing him throughout the school? Lessons were finally over, so shouldn't he be...more energetic?

A loud crash of thunder boomed through the entire school, and Miku flinched, startled. Her hands immediately snapped to her ears, trying to block out the resounding echoes of the clap of thunder. It had been pouring the entire day, without end, and she wondered when the rain was going to stop. It had been quite some time since there was a thunderstorm like this one.

''You don't like thunderstorms much, do you?'' SeeWoo spoke, sounding more alive now. Miku turned around to stare at the ash-blonde boy, who was smirking at her, one of his fingers hooked through his belt loop. She wondered where he had put his belt - she was sure he had been wearing it, this morning.

''Not really,'' she replied absently. ''I mean, they're loud and noisy. And you can't go out without an umbrella. So it's really annoying...and if the rain is as heavy as this one, having an umbrella won't help - you'll still get wet anyway,'' she wrinkled her nose in distaste.

He raised his eyebrows, looking startled. ''You don't like getting wet? How do you shower, then?'' his grin widened.

She narrowed her eyes at him. ''That's different. At least shower water isn't cold,'' she retorted. ''The rain is freezing, and when it soaks into my clothes they turn all soggy and uncomfortable,'' she mumbled. ''It's gross.''

''Rain can be enjoyable too, you know,'' he shrugged, looking slightly amused. ''Running through the rain with someone you care for, laughing, lost in a world between just the two of you...it can be fun, you know?''

''Why, have you done that with someone before?'' she asked teasingly. He shrugged again, eyes flicking up slyly to meet hers.

''No, but I'd like to do that with you,'' he smiled at her look of surprise, breezing past her to walk back to the cafeteria. Miku stared after him, blinking in shock.

Had SeeWoo just...flirted with her? _Her? _Miku Hatsune? She twirled a lock of her teal-coloured hair around her fingers, nibbling on her lower lip as she stared down at the ground. Slowly, a smile curved her lips.

She couldn't deny that he was handsome. And he was charming, so much nicer and friendlier than Len was...she felt warmth spread across her cheeks. Shaking her head crossly, she set off determinedly in the opposite direction from SeeWoo. He was a _baku. _And Miku did not like _bakus. _Not in any way whatsoever.

She was so distracted by her errant thoughts about the _baku _that she didn't notice when she walked right into someone. Her head snapped up as she skittered back, away from the person she had just collided with. ''I'm sorry!'' the words came out on reflex, and her eyes travelled up to meet the other person's gaze.

Eyes the colour of the sky at midnight stared back down at her, and they were narrowed, his long eyelashes casting faint shadows on his pale cheeks. He had let down his hair, and its feathery ends brushed against his shoulders, the dark blonde glimmering under the fluorescent school lights. She swallowed.

''So how was your day, showing SeeWoo around?'' his voice was deathly quiet, and she didn't like it. It was threatening, in a way - it made her feel like every single word which came out of his mouth was a death threat.

''It was fine. SeeWoo was nice enough,'' she shrugged, avoiding his probing gaze. ''He's rather...interesting. I didn't know he was a _baku, _like you are.''

Len's dark blue eyes flickered with surprise. ''He told you who he really was? That's...odd,'' he mumbled, almost to himself. ''I wouldn't have expected him to do that...how is he going about playing this little game, I wonder?''

''What game are you two planning?'' Miku frowned worriedly. ''It's not going to disrupt my life in any way, is it? And anyway, what does him telling me he's a _baku _have to do with anything?'' she asked curiously.

Len smiled at her, an irresistible, heart-melting smile which also warned her not to ask any more questions. ''No, it won't affect you at all,'' he said lightly. ''And our little game...well, we just like to compete between ourselves and see who's the better _baku, _so SeeWoo and I always have a little friendly competition every time we see each other. Nice, isn't it?''

''What are you competing over this time, then?'' Miku asked Len, continuing on the way she had been going before she walked into him. He fell into step next to her, tilting his head to one side. Miku blinked - whenever he did that, he reminded her of a cat.

''It's a secret,'' he said slyly. ''But I'd tell you for a little kiss, of course,'' he added, winking at her playfully. She gaped at him, then huffed and looked away, blushing.

Len was just so infuriating at times. ''I would never want to touch you that way, you _baku,_'' she declared, still facing away from him to hide her burning blush. ''Dream on.''

''I _have _been seeing dreams about _someone _kissing me, recently,'' he teased in a sing-song voice. His fingers combed through her hair, and she stiffened in surprise at the unexpected act. ''I wonder, who could it possibly be?''

''One of your admirers, I'd bet,'' Miku muttered under her breath. He heard her anyway, and he snickered lightly, his fingers dropping from her hair to stroke her shoulders.

''Someone sounds jealous,'' he said smoothly. ''If you like me, Miku, then just say so. Keeping secrets is bad for one's mental psyche, you know. And who knows, perhaps I'll like you back,'' he teased her some more. If such a thing was even possible, her blush deepened.

''I really can't stand you, you annoying..._baku!_'' she stormed off, but froze in her tracks as lightning flashed across the skies outside, the streak of white light flashing through the window against the wall. She swallowed.

Storms were scary...he was by her side in an instant, his arm draped across her shoulder as he tugged her closer against his body. ''Which do you think is more frightening? Thunder or lightning?'' he mused.

''I don't know. I suppose lightning, since it can kill you...but it's silent. Thunder can sound terrifying,'' she mumbled, eyeing the window once more. Lightning was a soundless killer, but it was easy to see when it was coming. It was hard to miss a jagged fork of pure energy in the sky, after all.

Thunder rumbled in the outside skies, a low, angry-sounding growl. Len's arm tightened around her, and he dipped his head down to whisper in her ear. The cool breath against her skin made her shiver.

''A storm is brewing,'' his voice was soft and intense. ''Who will you trust, Miku? Me or SeeWoo? Your choice can affect your life in ways that you never would have imagined.''


	13. Chapter 13

_Something about your eyes makes me wonder...what am I to you? Something about the look in them, when you think I don't notice, makes me think...who am I to you?_

Miku shook her head, trying not to think of all those irrelevant thoughts. Len had been weird lately - always appearing whenever she and SeeWoo were talking, during class. He would join the conversation, and SeeWoo would let him, but there was always this tension between them - a tension she couldn't help noticing.

After the thunderstorm two days ago, when he had asked her that question about who to trust, she had been confused. She didn't know why he would ask her something like that, and frankly she couldn't help wondering whether or not the blonde _baku_ was...jealous. If he was, he certainly was doing a poor job of hiding it.

Two nights ago, before he sent her to sleep, he had asked that question again. Once more, she had kept quiet, and he hadn't pressed for an answer. Last night, he had asked again, and she didn't reply. He didn't come to school this morning, and she wondered...was it because she had chosen not to tell him her answer? About who she would rather trust?

No, surely not. Len wasn't so bratty. Usually. And anyway, why would he care about what she thought? From the very first time she had met the _baku, _it was obvious that he wanted nothing more than to feast on her nightmares. Miku shuddered - her nightmares. She didn't think that they'd taste good, but Len apparently enjoyed devouring bad dreams, so she decided not to comment on his strange tastes.

It wasn't that she didn't want to give him an answer to his question - _who would you rather trust? Who would you believe? SeeWoo or I? _She wanted to answer...but she didn't know what her reply ought to be. SeeWoo was her friend - they had become fast friends, since they sat next to each other. She trusted him, no doubt, since he had been upfront about his identity. He hadn't lied to her...

But Len? Did she trust Len? Not fully, especially not since he still hadn't told her the terms of his contract with her. He was holding the contract over her head, and it irritated her that he had such a hold over her. Yet she had known Len for longer than she had known SeeWoo. And when Len had repeated his question, last night...something in his normally emotionless eyes had begged for a truthful reply.

Could she trust SeeWoo? Yes, she could. Could she trust Len? If she forced herself to, yes.

Should she trust either of them? They were _bakus. _They weren't human, and they didn't think like mortals did. They were dream gods, dream eaters, and that made their intentions unknown. She didn't know what to think, what to decide - she knew the smart choice was not to trust both. Still. They were her...friends?

_Sometimes, I wonder why Len asked me that. And I curse him for asking such a question. I curse him for making me wonder, making me question my own intentions._

''What are you thinking?'' SeeWoo asked, shrugging his bag strap over his shoulder. He was walking her back, since Len wasn't in school today, and SeeWoo had claimed that he didn't want her to feel lonely. Since Len was usually the one who sent her home.

''Can _bakus _fall ill?'' Miku asked SeeWoo, who raised his eyebrows, looking thoughtful.

''You're asking about Len, aren't you?'' he questioned bluntly. ''We can't fall ill...we can run out of emotional energy and become lethargic, though. Maybe that's what happened to him...but that makes no sense. If he's using you as a siphon, he should be brimming with energy...'' SeeWoo's eyes fixed upon her hungrily.

''Siphon?'' she ignored SeeWoo's intense look, staring right back into his blue-grey eyes. ''What do you mean, he's using me as a siphon?''

''Simple. Did you know that _bakus _have no feelings of their own?'' SeeWoo's smile turned bitter. ''What you see now is a farce. Our emotions were stripped from us, ages ago, by the gods...now, in order to be able to act like normal beings, to blend with the crowd, we mastered the art of faking our emotions.''

''Why were the _bakus _stripped of their emotions, to begin with?'' Miku asked.

''I don't know...maybe Len would. He's older than I am. I'm only three hundred and eighty.''

Miku gaped at the youthful-looking SeeWoo, who smirked right back at her. ''And how old is Len, if he's older than you are?''

''About five centuries. Give or take a couple of decades. He's pushing six, if I remember correctly,'' SeeWoo shrugged. ''And that's still considered fairly young. We're immortals, after all - a hundred years is a blink of the eye. That's why humans are so short-lived, to us.''

Miku shook her head dazedly. ''So why am I a siphon? What do you mean by that?''

''To continue this pretence of emotion...to put up this act that we can feel...we find _vivid dreamers _and eat their dreams. We play around in these dreams, and then we siphon emotional energy from our victims and use it for our own,'' SeeWoo whispered. Miku froze.

''That's what Len is doing, Miku. He's draining your emotional energy, in exchange for your nightmares. Using that energy to feel, to pretend that he has emotions. We only feel a shadow of what we were once able to experience. We're emotion vampires.''

Was that why after her sleep, she always felt so drowsy? Blinking, she shook her head furiously. ''It won't kill me or anything, right? This...energy siphoning,'' she added uncertainly.

''It won't...unless Len takes too much at one go. Then you'll become like us - an empty, emotionless shell. That's why _bakus _are always on the lookout for vivid dreamers...it's bad when we get fixated on one particular dreamer, you see. Bad for both us and them. And especially bad for the nightmare _bakus._''

''Nightmare...?'' Miku echoed, stopping in front of her house. She turned to stare at the ash-blonde _baku. _''That's what Len is, isn't he? But why is it bad? He said before that nightmares have the most energy. Isn't that good for him?'' she cocked her head. SeeWoo sighed.

''Did Len never tell you why he's one of the most feared _bakus _around?'' he drawled. ''That's disappointing. It's a fascinating story, really. Maybe you should ask him that.'' The look in his blue-grey eyes made her feel like asking what Len had did, but she decided it would be better for Len himself to talk about his past.

SeeWoo's expression softened, and she wondered whether that was real or not. Since the _bakus _couldn't really feel, how many of those smiles were real, and how many of those intense stares were faked?

''I know that finding out we cannot feel can be rather...surprising,'' he said softly, his gaze dropping to the ground. ''You might find it rather difficult to accept, that we have no feelings of our own...but if I told you that I liked you, would you believe what I said?''

She stared at him, unsure if it was a truth or a lie. Could _bakus _like someone? ''What...you like me? Why? I don't know if I should believe you, SeeWoo.'' She said slowly, uncertainly.

''I like you because you're interesting. I feel something when I look at you,'' he smiled. ''Even though I'm numb, even though I can't feel anything without a siphon for energy, when I look at you, there's just _something_.''

Before she could react, SeeWoo tilted her face up, then leant down and pressed his lips to her. Miku was frozen in shock as his warm mouth nipped softly at hers, and for a while she didn't move. As his gentle kisses became more insistent, though, she found her lips parting, responding to his warm touch. Her eyelids fluttered closed, her kissing him back.

She didn't know how long she stood outside her house, their arms wrapped around each other. But suddenly, a hand grabbed her elbow, wrenching her away from SeeWoo. Gasping, she turned to see her assailant - and there stood Len, his midnight blue eyes icy cold.

''Don't touch her,'' he said emptily, his eyes fixed on SeeWoo. ''Or you're going to pay.'' SeeWoo raised an eyebrow, smirking at Len is response to his hostility.

''Why? Is she yours, Len?'' he asked casually. ''Because you don't seem to be doing all that much to prove that claim.''

''Len?'' Miku jerked her arm away from his grip, ''Why didn't you come to school today?''

His eyes never left the other _baku. _''I'll tell you later,'' he said in that same empty way. ''Go in, Miku. I have some...things to discuss with SeeWoo. And humans shouldn't be listening.''

Miku was getting frustrated by his weird behaviour. This had been the way he was acting, for the past two days at school, and she was getting sick of it. ''Len! You can't just command me to do whatever you want! You don't have any right to ask anything of me -''

''Please?'' Len interrupted her rant halfway, suddenly meeting her gaze. His midnight-coloured eyes were haunted-looking, and she froze. That expression...it was so familiar, like she had seen it somewhere before...

''Did you tell her about what you do to your victims, Len?'' SeeWoo's voice cut through the tension. ''Do you think she will be willing to allow you near her, if she knows the truth?''

Len visibly stiffened. ''Did you tell her anything?'' he asked sharply. SeeWoo shrugged, glancing down at the ground. He looked bored.

''No...I respect you as an elder enough to keep my nose out of your private affairs,'' SeeWoo's eyes slid over to meet Miku's. ''But you might want to ask him,'' he directed his next words at the human girl. ''I don't want you to get hurt, Miku. And Len...he isn't good for you. Even if you don't trust my feelings, trust my warning.''

With that, he turned and sauntered away, leaving Len and Miku behind. Miku faced him, suspicion in her eyes. Len swallowed.

''What secrets have you been keeping from me?''


	14. Chapter 14

''Inside,'' he said quietly, tilting his head in the direction of her house. Suspiciously, Miku walked past him, past the front door, and Len followed after her, closing the door behind him. Trapping her inside with him.

She whirled around to face the dream eater, who was leaning against the door he had just closed. ''So tell me, Len. What exactly do you do, to your victims? Why is it that you have such a...feared reputation?'' Her green eyes searched his, and he swallowed, looking away.

''Remember the first time I came to you?'' he asked softly. She nodded, curiosity and suspicion still in those expressive eyes, and he sighed, closing his own blue ones. ''Remember what I told you that I would do, if you were to renege on your promise, Miku?''

''You said...'' Miku frowned, trying to remember. ''You said that if I broke our deal between us, whatever it was, you would drive me insane with my many nightmares. You said you would return me all my nightmares, and more.''

''And that's what I do,'' Len said emptily. ''I drive my victims insane - and I like doing so. I like seeing them hysterical, gasping, depressed...suicidal. It gives me a thrill, it makes me feel as though I can feel again, to see my little victims suffering like that. And I especially like to see it when they turn so mad, they kill themselves.''

Miku gaped at him, unsure of how to respond to the unexpected claim. Len's full lips tilted up into a knowing smirk as he cocked his head at her. ''Do you think that I'm sadistic, think that I'm a cold, heartless bastard? Well, I am - and you saying so won't change me in any way.''

''I wasn't going to say that.'' Well, not out loud, anyway. ''Why do you do that, Len? Are you...do you want to do that to me as well?'' she swallowed, nervousness and fear suddenly gripping her heart in its cold fingers as she slowly backed away from the smirking _baku._

Although he stood still and motionless, he radiated violence - all of a sudden, he looked dangerous. He looked like he was someone who could tear your heart out of your chest and laugh as he forced you to eat it. He looked sadistic and cruel, like...a stranger, almost.

Suddenly, a blur whipped past her, and then she was pressed against the cool wall, her eyes squeezed shut in terror. Cool, minty breath, like the harsh chill of winter, washed against her face as Len laughed quietly, seductively. Slowly, she let her eyelids lift so that she stared at the blonde _baku, _who was regarding her with a strange mix of curiosity and amusement.

''Are you scared of me now, Miku?'' he whispered, his voice intense. ''Just because you found out exactly how malicious I am?'' his long, slender fingers twirled a lock of her thick teal hair, bringing it up to his lips. ''I am a nightmare _baku, _Miku - I enjoy bringing pain and suffering upon my victims, and I enjoy devouring their nightmares, slowly, slowly, one by one...''

She didn't speak, her heart in her mouth - Len seemed so different now. He had never been particularly nice, since the start, but she was seeing a new side to him - a side that scared her, but at the same time enthralled her.

''If I wasn't around to cause nightmares, then would there be any left for me to devour?'' he mused. ''I siphon energy. I drain my victims, slowly and surely. A little at first, so that they don't notice it - then more and more, until they keel over from exhaustion. Until they beg me to go no further,'' his blue eyes met hers, the dark blue icy cold. ''And I laugh at their pain.''

''Why?'' she asked, barely able to get the word out. He smirked again, watching her. His expression was focused, and at the same time detached - emotionless. He was emotionless, a nightmare _baku, _and she couldn't allow herself to forget that...even though she wanted to, at times. ''Why do you do this?''

''Because it's _fun,_'' he crooned, his fingers stroking down her soft cheek. ''And because...I just want to. Do you want to run away from me now? Because you found out what I'm like? Do you fear that I would do the same to you, does it make you wish you could be in SeeWoo's protective embrace?'' Len sounded bitter. ''He is a nightmare _baku _as well - and one every bit as unrestrained and sadistic as I am.''

He sounded...well, if she didn't know better, she would have said that the dream eater sounded jealous. But Len couldn't possibly be jealous - he had no feelings of his own to begin with. He wouldn't waste emotional energy just to become jealous of her and SeeWoo, would he?

And anyway, Len wasn't...interested in her, either. Not that way. He had made his stand on that particular matter rather obvious - she was a siphon to him, a mortal who had foolishly embroiled herself in a condemned contract with him. In other words...she was a food source.

Miku realised that she wasn't surprised, to find out about both SeeWoo and Len. Len was a cold, unfeeling player, she knew - to find out that SeeWoo was one as well, though...she ought to be surprised. But she wasn't. SeeWoo, though he masked it all with his friendliness, had a sense of...mystery, of danger, around him. An aura that was just like Len's darkness.

But she still wasn't frightened of either of them. SeeWoo, well, she just wasn't all that scared of him. He was so nice - and anyway, she was already being claimed by Len as an energy siphon, so SeeWoo couldn't do anything, either way. Besides, he was her friend. He wouldn't do anything to hurt her, the same way Len said he hurt his victims, would he?

As for Len...Len was different. He frightened her a little, with his ever-changing attitudes. At times, he was moody, at other times he could be extremely sweet - like when he had asked her about who was the man in her dreams. Then, he had sounded so...concerned. About her. Finding out what he did to his victims wasn't what scared her - what made her nervous was his mood swings. How he seemed so polite at one moment, and so hostile the next.

Yet, despite it all, she still found herself strangely mesmerised by him. His presence stirred something within her, stirred feelings that she couldn't identify. She didn't know why - there was just something inside her, something buried so _deep _inside, something which whispered, _I know who you are..._

Though she had no idea who he was, other than someone who took away her nightmares and gave her sweet dreams. At that thought, she blinked. ''If you're really that cruel, then why did you agree to give me pleasant dreams?''

Len jerked, uncertainty flickering through his dead blue eyes. She wondered if that uncertainty was real, or an illusion brought about by her drained emotional energy. ''Well...sometimes, it's more fun to trade,'' he smiled winningly. ''The contract between us states that I take away your nightmares, _and give you sweet dreams, _in exchange for something from you. Whatever it is that I desire.''

''And what is it that you desire?'' she breathed, still pinned to the wall by his body. His tongue flicked out, running languidly against his full lips as he tilted his head, seeming to consider. ''Would you believe me if I told you I haven't thought of that, yet?'' he asked.

She hesitated, unsure. Len had said those words in his characteristic emotionless way, and she couldn't tell whether he was lying or not. Helplessly, she shrugged. ''I don't know,'' she admitted, somewhat reluctantly. Len smirked knowingly, his fingers stroking through her long teal hair as he sighed, closing his eyes.

''I'll tell you what is it when you're able to figure it out,'' he whispered intensely. ''But for now, I'll take something to tide me over...to tide me over until the moment of truth,'' his blue eyes snapped open, suddenly lit with a hunger that made her breath catch, expectant. In sudden want, want for something. Something unknown. Something she, once again, didn't understand.

Len stepped closer so that their bodies melded together, soft against hard, and then forcefully he kissed her, his lips searching hers out hungrily. She couldn't prevent her reaction as a moan slipped out of her mouth, breathy and needy. She heard him laugh, darkly.

The crispness of mint and the coldness of winter - that was what Len tasted like. His tongue ran out against her lips, probing, and she let her lips part. He explored her mouth like he was starving, like he wanted to know every corner of her mouth. Like he was someone who hadn't eaten in days, and her mouth contained a banquet of the most delicious foods. He was like a man, starved of everything.

Quickly, he pulled away from her, not even gasping while she stared at him, breathing hard. He ducked his head, nibbling lightly at the curve of her neck, and she cried out, her hands fisting in his silky dark blonde hair. His fingers clutched the other side of her shoulders as she looped her arms around his neck, pulling him even closer against her skin. She didn't understand why her body reacted like this, so needfully towards him...

_You're familiar. Your touch is familiar - like I've felt it before, somewhere...like I know who you are. You're not a stranger to me, though we've never touched like this before, not once. Not ever. Who are you?_

One final little nip at her neck, and then Len drew away, wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand. Shakily, Miku let her fingers drift towards her neck, and her eyes widened as she felt the tender flesh - he had given her a hickey. Len had given her a hickey.

His fingers tilted her face up, so she had to stare into his dark blue eyes. They were narrowed down at her, as expressionless as ever - and that strangely hurt. Would it kill him to be at least a little affected by what had just happened between them? Why had he kissed her, anyway? What motives did he have?

''No, no motives,'' he smiled all of a sudden, and Miku felt her cheeks warm - he had been listening to her thoughts. ''I just...I just don't want you to get too close to SeeWoo. So I'm marking you as mine,'' he tilted his head towards her neck. ''He's not what he seems, even if he did tell you that he is a _baku. _He's every bit as twisted as I am,'' Len's eyes turned even darker, almost black. ''And I'm not losing my siphon to his clutches.''

With those almost threatening last words, he backed away from her, turning around to leave her house. Miku kept her hand pressed to the bruise on her neck, staring after the blonde nightmare dream eater. She was blushing.

Why was she blushing?


	15. Chapter 15

Len was lazing around, in one of the other dimensions. The world was made up of many dimensions - the mortal world existed in the third. He was currently in the eighth dimension, the realm of the dream gods. The _bakus._

Miku had always wondered where Len lived - Len wasn't going to tell her. It was fun to keep her guessing. Sighing, he rose from his bed, walking out of his luxurious room to the common room. Every single _baku _had a room in the dream dimension, and all of the rooms had a single passageway which led back to the common hall, in their own dimension.

The common hall - the dream portals. It was a room that _bakus _used, to quickly travel to the mortal world. There were hundreds of large mirrors in the hall, and each mirror led straight to a sleeping, dreaming mortal. It was fast, and convenient, allowing the _bakus _to travel straight to their next mortal and source of emotion.

It was how Len had found Miku Hatsune. What had happened last week was that he had been bored and hungry. So he had passed through one of the mirrors into the mortal world, and had stumbled across a dreamer giving off particularly strong waves of dreaming terror. That little dreamer had been Miku.

Len had followed the scent of Miku's fear, all the way to her house, and then he had crept in and made her the deal. His lips curved into a smile, a practised smile - walking forward, he let his fingers trail against the smooth glass surface of one of the mirrors.

This mirror was the one he had walked through, to enter the mortal world. To reach Miku. He still remembered, even though there were hundreds of other portals, all which looked exactly identical to this one here.

''Len?'' Len turned at the sound of his name being called. A girl was walking down the hallway into the common room, and she looked identical to him - he smirked. It was his twin sister, Rin Kagamine. A _baku _just like he was.

''Rin,'' he responded coolly. ''I haven't seen you in a while...what have you been up to, in the mortal world?'' he asked, simply for the sake of asking. It was fun to try irritating his sister, especially when she attempted to get annoyed but couldn't. Since they couldn't feel.

''I haven't been in the mortal world for decades,'' she scowled, a faint crease appearing on her normally smooth forehead. ''And you should know that, since you're the one who locked me in my room with a password I can't figure out. You're such a jerk, Len.''

Len knew that all this was supposed to be hilarious, to him. But he simply couldn't make himself laugh. He just didn't feel amused - to be honest, he didn't feel anything much, anyway. ''Then how did you finally get out?''

''Meiko opened my door because she was looking for me,'' Rin stared evenly at him. Though he knew that she wanted to glare at him. ''You forgot to set a password on the outside of the door as well, you genius.''

''Well. Looks like I might as well just remove the password, then,'' Len sighed, turning away from his sister. ''I doubt you'll be going anywhere near your room, any time soon.''

''I've decided it would be best for me to avoid you...and my room, for a while,'' Rin nodded sagely. ''If I could genuinely feel, Len, I would tell you that I hate you. A lot. You're a jerk and a total, complete utter moron.''

''Ditto,'' Len sighed, leaning against the frame of one of the ornately-glided mirrors. ''Anyway, what brings you out to face this so-called jerk, then? Since you clearly don't want to talk to this dear elder brother of yours.''

''Dear,'' Rin scoffed. ''Dear, over my dead, unmoving body. You'll never be dear to me, Len. Oh, Luki is looking for you, it seems. Again. He doesn't seem very happy - or as far as unhappy can go, seeing how we can't really feel...what did you do to him this time?'' she frowned.

Len shrugged. Luki Megurine, the pink haired, blue eyed _baku, _was one of the _baku _trio who were the overseers of the _bakus. _They ensured that the _bakus _were kept in hand, and that they didn't do anything to harm the dreaming humans...not too often, anyway.

The trio especially kept an eye on nightmare _bakus. _Nightmare _bakus _truly were the worst of their kind, the _bakus _who delighted in the scent of fear and distrust. _Bakus _who desired to do nothing more than to torment and taunt the dreams of their unfortunate victims.

Len happened to be an nightmare _baku _- and he didn't intend to change that, not any time soon. He was fond of what he did, and driving people mad from their own nightmares was something he greatly enjoyed doing. It was fun, in a sick, twisted way, to watch people go delusional.

Luki was the _baku _mainly in charge of discipline. He was also one of the _bakus _who had been around since the curse was first laid down, and he had been one of the original few to be punished for the crime that Len didn't even know about. None of the originals would speak of what had happened, what had been done to cause them to be cursed like this.

Luki was old, though he most certainly didn't look it, and he resided in the dream dimension, not bothering to come out to absorb emotional energy. He was apparently perfectly fine with remaining emotionless and expressionless for the rest of his immortal life, and he didn't take advantage of the loophole in their curse.

He was a dream god who didn't interfere in mortal dreams, a dream god who preferred to stay in the dream dimension than leave and enter the human world. He was sedate that way, and Len wondered exactly what was going through the pink haired god's mind.

Len had been hauled before Luki before, to be punished for crossing the line. Several times. It was just a few beatings - nothing more to it. It had hurt a lot, in the beginning - his back still hurt whenever he thought of the first few times he had been punished, before - but after a while he had grown numb to all the pain.

No matter how much he was punished, Len would never forgo his sources of food and emotion. He wouldn't let go of what kept him interested - the suffering and pain of humans. He was a sadistic bastard who enjoyed watching the misery of others, and he wasn't ashamed to admit such a thing.

''I didn't do anything,'' Len said tonelessly to his sister. ''But I suppose I should go to see what he wants, this time. Where is Luki?'' He had to wonder whether his sister was just trying to pull a prank on him, to get back at him for the password incident - but she wouldn't have any emotional energy, not after such a long period of confinement. And without emotions, there would be no desire whatsoever for revenge.

One advantage of having no emotions of their own was that it enabled them to think logically, clearly, without having emotions clouding up their minds. However, Len would still much rather have his emotions back.

''In his chambers,'' Rin turned away from him, voice cool. Searching through the images shown in the mirrors, she picked one at random and dove into it, clearly eager to return to the mortal world and begin siphoning emotions.

Len strolled relaxedly out of the hall, keeping his destination in mind - Luki's room. That was where he wanted to go. Any exit leading away from the common hall would take him to his destination, so long as he kept in mind where he wanted to end up at. Luki's room.

He reached a door, the door to Luki's chambers, and he sighed, expectant of what was going to happen. Knocking on the door, he waited for acknowledgement before he pushed the door open, walking calmly into the room.

The pink haired god looked up as Len walked into the room. ''Len,'' he said in his familiar, emotionless way. ''How many times have I told you not to burn any more humans out? How many times must I remind you that we're not supposed to get fixated on one human?''

Len frowned. ''What do you mean?'' he asked, voice just as dead as Luki's. ''I'm not draining anyone right now. I'm not driving anyone insane, so I haven't crossed any line this time. And if I have, I didn't realise.'''

Luki just stared blankly back at him, his eyes as empty as ever. Len didn't want to end up like this - he didn't want to end up an empty vessel, someone with no feelings or emotions. He didn't want to be a mere shell, doing nothing but existing, day in and day out, for eternity...

''I heard reports that Len Kagamine, the feared nightmare _baku, _had set his sights upon another target,'' Luki said tonelessly. ''A girl by the name of Miku Hatsune. You know our ways, Len Kagamine. We do not grow attached to our targets. If we keep siphoning energy from any particular human, without break, the human will become an unfeeling shell like we are.''

Len gritted his teeth. ''I know that. I won't do that to this girl. We have already cut a deal - and I won't drive her insane unless she breaks my contract. You know the way I work.''

''I do not fear for whether or not she is driven insane by you,'' Luki's voice was flat. ''But you do not overstep the line. You do not siphon energy from her, until she has no more energy of her own. Is that understood, Len? Nightmare _bakus _are prone to forgetting this rule.''

Len snorted. ''It doesn't matter whether or not I get punished,'' he retorted. ''I have been whipped before, tortured before, many times. Simply for _crossing the line, _as you say.''

''Don't forget the most fundamental rule.'' Luki's eyes sparked, a tiny little spark of danger and warning. Len wondered if he had imagined it. Luki wasn't able to feel, was he? ''We do not fall in love with humans.''

The blonde nightmare _baku _stiffened. ''Love? I do not understand what you speak of,'' he said carefully. ''I do not know what is love...all I know is that love is foolish. And it is something I would never do. To fall in love with a human? A weak mortal? I abhor the mere thought.''

''Really.'' Luki's eyes fixed blankly on him. ''That's not what I hear. I'm fairly sure you know how to feel - you were on the run for several decades after your birth, before you were finally caught and had your emotions stripped away. You cannot lie to me, Len - it would be wiser not to try.''

Len didn't want to think of that. The fact that his emotions had been forcibly taken from him - the torture he had gone through, just to try keeping his feelings for himself...up to now, the memories were able to spark something in him. Something deep, almost like anger, anger buried under a deep emotional void.

''You...are becoming dangerously attached to this mortal girl, and if you really do fall for her, Len, you will be punished. You will be made to suffer in ways that would make your previous beatings seem like a mother's warm embrace.'' The threat was even more dangerous sounding, spoken in Luki's emotionless way.

''I have nothing to fear,'' Len countered. ''I will not overstep any boundaries. I will not drive her mad unless she explicitly breaks my contract. I will not drain her of her emotional energy. Most of all, I will never fall in love with her.''

Blue eyes met his own. Luki's blue eyes were light, like a summer sky, while Len's blue eyes were dark, like the midnight sky. Both shades of blue clashed and held, challenging.

''We'll see about that,'' was all he said, as emptily as always. ''I'll be watching you, Len.''

With that warning, the pink haired god disappeared from his chambers, leaving Len behind. If Len had been able to feel by himself...if he had emotions of his own to fall back on...

Len would have been so very confused.


	16. Chapter 16

''You seem to be in a bad mood. Or at least, as bad a mood as you can get, given the fact that we can't feel,'' SeeWoo smirked, leaning against the wall of Len's room. Len glanced up at the _baku, _rolled his eyes in feigned disdain, and looked back down again. If only he could really feel the emotion he was faking.

''Remind me, how did you get into my room? I'm pretty sure I locked the door. With a password. Which I changed only just yesterday,'' Len muttered.

''Your passwords are easy enough to figure out,'' SeeWoo shrugged languidly, pushing himself upright, away from the wall. Len wanted, so badly, to be able to envy SeeWoo. The _baku _was so good at pretending he had emotions, one would almost think that he had feelings of his own. ''They're always related to what you happen to find interesting at the moment. I just tried 'teal', and it worked.''

SeeWoo was extremely good at manipulating siphoned emotional energy. He could pass for someone who had emotions, someone _normal _- but if you drained him of his energy, he would become empty and lifeless. Just like Luki was.

Luki. The thought of the pink haired god sent a flicker of anger through Len, almost non-existent anger that didn't even belong to him, to begin with. How could Luki accuse Len of falling in love? Everyone knew how Len Kagamine was like - he was a heartless _baku _who craved dreams and emotions. Everyone knew how he drained emotional energy, at the expense of his victims' sanity. He cared not for any of them.

So...how could he possibly fall in love? He didn't even understand what was love. He had never fallen in love before, not even during his early youth, when he still had his emotions...before they had been stripped away from him. Lust? He certainly had felt that before, though now no longer. At least, he no longer felt lust outside of vivid dreams. Outside of Miku's dreams.

He wanted Miku, lusted after her, but only because she sparked his curiosity, the insatiable curiosity that all _bakus _had been cursed with. Of all the emotions to have been left behind, the gods had cursed them with curiosity. _Bakus _were eternally curious about things, important or not, but that strong curiosity was never satisfied, because they couldn't feel any satisfaction. It was torture of the worst kind.

Len would be willing to trade any amount of pain for the removal of this one emotion he could still experience. Perhaps that was why Luki stayed in the dream dimension - so that his curiosity would be numb, as numb as himself.

The lust he felt for Miku...he didn't know what he was lusting for, exactly. He couldn't say that he desired her body - he lusted for something else. The source of her vivid dreams, perhaps. She was a bottomless well of emotions and dreams, and if he could possess the source of it all...he would never have to go out and siphon energy from sleeping humans. Never again.

But he would be lying if he said that he didn't want her as well. Didn't want her for _her, _for the taste of her soft lips, the feel of her bare skin against his. He liked and despised the way he could feel in her dreams - true, she gave him the energy to feel again. But then the feelings he had around her...they were always feelings of desire, of possessiveness, of...yearning.

Yearning for something he couldn't put a name to. He wanted her dreams, her lovely, vividly delicious dreams. But what else did he want? Why couldn't he identify what was the other thing he was craving for? Something that was like a heady drug, something which kept him coming back for more...and for once, it wasn't her dreams. It was something else.

It was the first time that Len was hooked onto a human for something other than their dreams. And he honestly didn't like the idea very much - he knew he didn't, though actually he couldn't feel that dislike. He was as numb as usual. He would have to absorb energy from Miku tonight, then - he was running low again.

Emotional energy was what _bakus _ran on. Usually, _bakus _absorbed such energy to give themselves and everyone else the illusion that they had emotions. Such energy helped them to fake expressions, make them seem more natural. With the help of siphoned emotions, Len could use the vivid feelings of his victims to make himself seem normal - so that he could laugh and smile. Get angry and upset. Just like normal people could...unlike the _bakus._

However, this energy was also used to fuel their powers. Of course, _bakus _could wield their godly powers, with or without emotional energy, but they were stronger with than without. Naturally.

But one thing that emotional energy could never do was take the place of their true emotions. Those had been stripped away by the gods themselves, and nothing would bring them back. Emotional energy brought nothing but a mere pretence. It wasn't the real thing.

It was completely nothing like the real thing, and Len should know, because he still remembered what it had been like to feel. To have his emotions. He had lived for close to six centuries, and he still felt that his greatest loss throughout his whole long life were those of his emotions. He would sacrifice all the years he had lived, just for a chance at getting his feelings back. So he could feel once again.

Even the strong energy he gleaned from Miku couldn't substitute his actual feelings. The only way Len could get anywhere near to feeling again was within dreams. In dreams, he received a shadow of his own emotions back - a faint shadow, but still better than none. In dreams, he could almost feel again, like how he had in the past. But when he left the dreams, returning to the waking world...

Everything was lost, and he was a numb shell once again. The stronger a dreamer was, the more vividly he could genuinely _feel _- and perhaps that was why he was strangely...attached to Miku? Because she was the most vivid little dreamer he had ever met. What he felt in her dreams was more than a mere shadow...it was almost like the real thing.

In her dreams, he could fool himself into believing that his emotions had never been stripped away. And maybe that was what Luki had meant, when he said that Len was becoming dangerously attached to Miku. Len knew one thing - he was never going to give her up. Not when she brought back a hint of what had been long lost to him.

It was a foolish thought. Still, Len was sticking to that way of thinking. Maybe mortals would say that he loved her, this frail human girl - and Len agreed that he did feel something like that. He didn't love her though. What he loved was her emotions, the way she made him feel again. Like he had never lost his emotions, had never lost something so precious to him.

He hated the numbness that he lived through, day in and day out. It was as though he was a robot, an empty shell, doing only what was necessary to survive. Such a cold existence was pointless - even his coolly logical mind could come to such a conclusion. And he would stop at nothing to obtain back what was rightfully his.

The empty existence of a _baku. _All _bakus _were logical - they had to be. They had no emotions to cloud their judgement - everything they said, the choices they made, were based purely on logic and thinking. It made them good, impartial judges, since without emotions they had no inclination to cheat or the like. But Len would still rather have his feelings back.

''SeeWoo,'' Len spoke up, and the other blonde glanced at him, blinking. He waited for Len to speak, but Len hesitated. He wondered whether he ought to ask this question, but in the end he did. ''Why do you want Miku?''

SeeWoo's lips slowly tilted up into a smile. ''Why I want Miku?'' he echoed. ''Isn't it for the same reasons as you do, Len? You just want a vivid dreamer, someone who can let you experience life again. Life as a person with emotions, life other than ours. The eternal, monochrome existence of a _baku. _Don't we all yearn to break free of this emotionless cage?''

''What if I told you that I wanted her for reasons other than for her dreams?'' Len asked, his voice as calm as ever. SeeWoo cocked his head, the faint glimmer of curiosity in his eyes - and once again, Len wished that he had the same aptitude as SeeWoo, when it came to faking emotions. When it came to channelling energy to faking it, so that they would seem more like people...and less like empty vessels.

''I would say that you were lying,'' SeeWoo's voice was flat as he dropped all pretence of feeling. His expression smoothed out, his face becoming blank once more. Becoming expressionless, like a _baku._ ''What other reason would a cold nightmare _baku _like you have?''

''Things that I do not understand,'' Len glanced down at the dice he was fiddling with. Two small white cubes, speckled with black dots - if he threw them, what would they show? It all depended on Fate, he supposed - for even the gods could not predict the future. Not accurately, at least. Fate was a tricky one.

Much less him. How could he guess what would happen to him? What was happening to him? A year ago, a century ago, he never would have imagined running into a dreamer as _vivid _as Miku was - and yet, here she was. A fragile little mortal, trapped in a doomed contract with him. He took away her nightmares in exchange for emotions...but he also did more than take her nightmares away. He drained her energy.

Nightmares _were _energy, in a way. Dreams were energy sources. And the more he took her nightmares away, the more emotional energy he siphoned away from her. Nightmares possessed thrilling fear and adrenaline, and in order to soothe those nightmares, he drained all the feeling out of it. That was where he got his energy from. So when she woke up...

True, he gave her sweet dreams, but he didn't return the energy he siphoned. All the sweet dreams were pretty pictures, nothing more than mere illusions, and they possessed none of the actual emotions present in self-made dreams.

''You do not understand?'' SeeWoo said slowly. ''What is there that we do not understand? We are _bakus, _and we are creatures that operate purely on logic. Is there anything that we are unable to figure out for ourselves, Len?''

Len stared right at SeeWoo. The blonde _baku _regarded him with those empty blue grey eyes, and he wondered whether he himself was reflected in that cold gaze. He was just like SeeWoo, in many ways - so technically, SeeWoo was able to challenge Len's claim to Miku, if he really wanted to do so. They were on the same footing, and they had similar principles.

If SeeWoo desired to compete with him for a new food source, Len could not complain. Contracts held, but most _bakus _didn't care about contracts. _Bakus_ were logical, and they worked purely for the good of themselves.

They would do things only if it advantaged themselves. If the merits of interfering with another _baku's _contract with a human outweighed its disadvantages, then the _baku _would interfere. They would break the contract, because it was all for their own good. It would bring them important benefits.

But Len wasn't going to give up his source of emotions, nor did he intend to play fair with SeeWoo. He had found Miku first - so why should he have to share? Why should he give SeeWoo a chance to steal away what was his? His lips tilted up, into a practised smirk - a smirk which he knew had always infuriated Miku no end. It annoyed SeeWoo too, he could tell - his eyes narrowed at Len.

If SeeWoo wanted to compete with him over this human, then so be it. If SeeWoo dared to try interfering in the contract between Len and his human, then they would have themselves a merry little game. After all, Miku was his - and her subconscious knew it. No matter what SeeWoo did, surely Miku would not be affected by his actions...would she? No. She wouldn't.

''One thing we don't understand, SeeWoo? Tell me...do any of our kind claim to understands emotions? It's the one thing that none of us can ever decipher. Because we're emotionless...and nothing we do can change that fact.''


	17. Chapter 17

_''Would you do anything to get your emotions back? Literally anything? If, let's say...you had to make a choice between your emotions, and what managed to pique your interest. If you had to choose between your feelings and...Miku Hatsune...what would you choose?''_

_Len hesitated to answer. ''What a strange question, SeeWoo. Why would you ask me that? After all, we'll never be able to get our emotions back. The gods stripped us of what rightfully belongs to us - there's no chance in hell we're ever going to get them back.''_

_SeeWoo's intense blue grey eyes fixed upon him, the lifelessness in those eyes making the _baku _seem rather...disinterested, almost. ''But let's just say that there was a possibility. Would you let her go, then? What's she worth to you? She's nothing more than a source of memories of the past, isn't she? That's what you think of her - it's why you cling on to her, no?''_

_''I do not cling on to her,'' a practised scowl flitted across his face. ''Now get out of my room, SeeWoo...before I throw you out.''_

Len now frowned, the memory troubling him. He was roaming the mortal world, his hands shoved deep into his pockets as he thought about SeeWoo's words - did he cling on to Miku? Would other _bakus _realise that to him, she was a weakness, a liability they could use to hurt him? He had grown used to the taste of her nightmares...he didn't know if he could change his preferences, not anymore.

If someone became used to tasting only the finest, most delicate of wines, it was difficult to return to normal, cheap store bought reds. You would crave for the refined taste, and the difference between cheap and genuine wine was stark...and more than a little disgusting. He sighed, closing his eyes at the thought.

There would be school again tomorrow, and he wondered whether he ought to go. After all, there was no reason for him to attend school - it wasn't like he was interested, nor did he learn anything new...running his fingers through his hair, he cocked his head, senses suddenly on the alert as he heard something rustle, from behind him. His eyes narrowed - he could sense that he had a stalker. Someone was watching.

Whipping around, he observed the area around him - there wasn't anyone there. Still, he couldn't shake off the feeling that there was someone following him...ever since he had returned to the mortal world, that was all he had been able to feel. Eyes on his back, boring into him as though they wanted something from him...like they were waiting, in fact.

Was Luki watching him, as he had threatened to? Knowing that he ought to feel annoyed, he scowled, his blue eyes narrowing. ''Leave me alone, Luki,'' he said sharply, knowing that the pink haired dream eater would be listening to him. ''I'm not going against any rules.''

_I'm just watching you to make sure that you will keep to your word. It's better to be certain, Len - and you've always been one of the trickier ones. I cannot trust that you will follow your word. You will find a way around the rules that we have to follow...as usual._

Len growled as he heard the familiarly emotionless voice resound in his mind. Luki really was watching him, as he had suspected. Well, it didn't matter at all to Len. He really wasn't doing anything which went against their rules, and he would show Luki exactly how wrong he was about doubting Len.

He reached Miku's house, then cast a covert glance around. Waving his hand, he used his powers to unlock the front door, then slid inside the house, carefully locking the door behind him. It wouldn't stop Luki from stalking him, but then at least random strangers on the street wouldn't be able to enter the house to steal anything. Humans were just so strange.

Miku wouldn't like it if he left her front door unlocked, anyway. Especially not at the current late hour, when most burglars and robbers usually worked. He wondered where Miku was, and whether she had missed him - after yesterday afternoon, he had went back to the dream dimension, and he hadn't returned, not until now. He had been away for over twenty-four hours - it was night time now.

He walked quietly up the stairs, to the first floor landing, then made his way over to Miku's room. She would probably be asleep by now...he knew her sleep patterns. His tongue flicked out against his lips, hungry - he was looking forward to a feast tonight. It had only been one night since he had went without her dreams, and already he missed her...nightmares.

He wondered at the hesitation in his thoughts, but pushed the strange thought aside. Opening her room door softly, he walked cautiously into her room, his eyes flicking around the room so as to see where Miku was. The room lights were switched off - he could make out a white clothed figure, slumbering peacefully in her bed. Miku. He swallowed at the sight.

Being a nightmare eater, a nocturnal _baku, _he was able to see well in the dark. Better than humans - as well as a cat, in fact. And he could see Miku well. She was beautiful, with her pale skin and peacefully sleeping face. Her long, dark eyelashes curled up against her cheeks, and her full, soft lips were in an adorable pout. Her long teal hair pooled out over her bedspread.

He wanted to reach over and fist that teal hair, holding handfuls of it up to his face so that he could inhale the sweet scent of her strawberry shampoo. Swallowing, he approached her, then sat gingerly on her bed so that she wouldn't be jostled awake by his actions. She frowned a little in her sleep, and he tensed, waiting.

She didn't awaken. Slowly, he held his hand out, next to her forehead, and closing his own eyes he began to siphon dream energy from her vivid dreams. He could sense the dream she was currently having - it was a nightmare. Not one of the truly terrifying types...just a annoying one. But the large amount of energy that was characteristic of Miku's dreams was more than enough to satisfy him...for now.

He drained her energy, at the same time taking away the monsters which were leering at her in her nightmares. Then methodically, he replaced her nightmares with a scene of what she liked best - meadows, trees, forests. The wild. Miku Hatsune loved nature, for reasons he would never be able to comprehend.

She loved flowers and small animals, like so many other girls, and resignedly he gave her sweet dreams of all those. How boring. He placed the pretty pictures in her mind the same way he removed her nightmares - through his hands, held close to her forehead. His hands acted as a siphon, transferring energy from her to him and giving pretty pictures he had conjured to her. Give and take.

It was how he worked, usually. He gave a little, and he took plenty. He was always careful to never drain more energy than what she could handle losing, though. Like he had been warned...he wasn't supposed to take more than she could handle. It wasn't good for her. And if he drove her insane while she hadn't broken their contract, he would be punished.

Len let his hands drift away, once he had his fill of her nightmares. They were as delicious as ever, temptingly irresistible, and he swallowed as he stared down at the peacefully slumbering girl. She was smiling, the earlier frown on her face having smoothed out. She was a beautiful little treasure - even as an emotionless _baku, _he could appreciate her beauty.

He blinked as he realised that he could no longer sense eyes upon him. Luki must have decided to leave when Len had stopped siphoning her energy. After all, Len had stopped before he had gone anywhere near her limits...so that meant that she was safe. For now. And for now was evidently enough for Luki.

Knowing that Luki was gone gave Len the clearance to do whatever he wanted. Things that other dream eaters would disapprove of. Reaching out, he brushed Miku's hair away from her face, tucking the long teal locks away, behind her ear. Then slowly, he leant down, brushing his lips against her own soft ones.

She didn't react at all, she was so deeply asleep, and he smiled absently as he stared down at her. Again, he leant down for another kiss, this one deeper and more possessive. Sliding one arm under her neck, he supported her so that he didn't have to lean down too far, and then he continued kissing her, tasting more of her.

She moaned softly as he nipped at her mouth, her lips parting for him, and he slid his tongue in, wanting more and more...he didn't understand why he was doing this, but what he knew was that he didn't want to stop. He wanted to kiss her in real life, outside of her dreams, and he didn't want her to struggle...

So that left this. Going without her for one day wasn't good for him - he had not liked it much, though technically he didn't feel at all. He knew that he had felt...listless, while he had been away from Miku. Now that he was back here, with her securely in his arms, he felt a little better. And of course, it was good that he had fed on her dreams. He felt invigorated now.

He ended up on top of her, pressing her slender body into her mattress, kissing her hungrily, his tongue trailing from her lips to her collarbone. She whimpered in her sleep, but she still didn't awaken, and he smirked at that. It was the first time he had kissed her so possessively, outside of her vivid little dreams - kissed her as though she rightfully belonged to him. And she did. Len knew that she was supposed to be his.

His tongue continued its warm trail from neck to pale, exposed shoulder - she was wearing a sweet little white nightdress with a wide neckline, and it exposed her shoulders. He felt her shudder against him, and again he smirked, this time letting his teeth graze the creamy skin of her shoulder. She squeaked in her sleep.

His hand slid under the hem of her knee-length white nightdress, trailing up her smooth skin from her knee to her thigh, her hips, lifting the nightdress as he did so. It exposed her to him, but it still wasn't enough. He knew he ought to stop - but he didn't want to. She was so helpless now, and for once it wasn't a mere dream...it was real, all real, and he didn't want to stop.

He didn't need his emotions back to know that he desired this, that he craved this - that he wanted more. He returned his lips to hers, and he heard her sigh against him as his tongue ran out teasingly over her full lips. Winding some of her teal hair around his finger, he used his other hand to cup her cheek, pulling away from her lips to hold the lock of hair to his nose.

''You smell like vanilla,'' he whispered to her, even though he knew she wouldn't hear him. ''Vanilla, with a hint of strawberry...you have no idea how tempting you are. You make even a cold-hearted, emotionless _baku _like me want you,'' he laughed humourlessly. ''I suppose you could say that I am quite the fool.''

_I wonder if she can hear me, in her dreams. Does she know what's happening to her as she sleeps? I should feel guilty for this, but I don't...well, I suppose that it's a good thing that we can't feel emotions, at times._

His hands slid down her neck, inching slowly below her wide neckline to touch below her dress - and suddenly, her eyes snapped open, startled green meeting his midnight blue. Len froze, his hands still under her dress. She glanced sleepily at him, then down at his hands...she frowned, knowing something was very, very wrong with this image.

''Len, why are you lying on top of me, and why do you have your hands down my dress?''


	18. Chapter 18

Len immediately removed his hands from under the neckline of her dress, his eyes narrowing down at her. ''Well, you seemed rather feverish,'' he offered in reply. ''I was just checking to see whether you really were having a fever. Maybe you shouldn't sleep with your blanket. It'll make your body warmer, and that wouldn't be very good for a fever.''

Drowsily, she reached up to her forehead, touching the skin there with the back of her hand. She frowned. ''I don't think I'm having a fever,'' she said sleepily, voice suspicious. The skin beneath her hand was cool, and anyway...even if Len had been checking her for a fever, it didn't mean that he had to shove his hands down her dress now, did he?

The blond boy shrugged, his eyes as blank as ever. ''Ah. It was my mistake, then,'' he inclined his head, running his fingers through his blond hair. It was untied, the feathery ends of his silky hair brushing lightly against his shoulders. ''Perhaps you should forget about everything?'' he murmured, voice dropping to a low, sensuous whisper. ''Let it be nothing but a dream...nothing but a forgotten dream...''

She wanted to fall into that voice and forget. His voice was soothing. Just like a lullaby. She deeply wanted to sleep, to let her worries all be taken away by that voice...but she blinked, stiffening, as she realised what Len was trying to do. ''I'm not going to forget, Len!'' she snapped, her voice still a sleepy slur. ''You...you can't just go and control all my thoughts and memories, not the way you do my dreams!''

''Why, don't you like it that I tamper with your dreams?'' Len asked, arching his eyebrows at her. She scowled up at him, still feeling so tired. Why was she just so tired? She could remember having been woken up from a pleasant dream...ah. That must be it. Len had just taken some of her energy from her. It explained why she was feeling so very exhausted, right then. Feeling so drained...lifeless, almost.

''I...I like it,'' she admitted softly. ''If you hadn't controlled my dreams, I would still be having my nightmares now. But you shouldn't try and influence what I can remember, and what I forget. It's not right for you to do that, Len. I never agreed to let you tamper with my mind...'' she felt her eyes threaten to close.

''Sleep,'' he whispered, waving his hand over her eyes, making her struggle against the incoming waves of sleepiness. ''Shh. I'm here now. You don't have to worry about any more nightmares. They won't bother you anymore, not while I'm here. I promised you that I'll keep them away, since that was a part of our deal.'' Her green eyes stared tiredly up at him as he spoke, seemingly unconvinced.

''I know that you won't let the bad dreams get to me,'' she mumbled. ''But what if you try to molest me in my sleep again?'' Len stiffened at the question - hadn't he managed to successfully make her forget? Unless she had managed to shake the forgetfulness away...his lips set into a practised scowl. Her emotions filled him up, allowing him the facade that was feeling...a facade that lasted only for now.

''I didn't try to molest you,'' he said coolly. ''Like I said, I was worried that you were suffering from a fever. I heard that it was easier to check one's temperature by touching nearer to the chest area,'' he bluffed expertly, his penetrating blue eyes never leaving her own green ones all the while. ''So that is all there is to it. You are free to make of me what you wish.''

Wonderment and suspicion fought a furious battle in her gaze, and he watched as she struggled to come to a decision. About whether she ought to trust him or not. In the end, she sighed, lifting her gaze to meet his once again. Her stare was steadfast, and she didn't look away from him, not even once. ''You're really telling the truth?'' she asked, voice filled with thinly veiled suspicion. He sighed.

''Yes,'' he dead-panned. ''The truth, and nothing but the truth. What other reason or motive could I possibly have for touching you in that way?'' he asked in a flat way, making her flinch. Her eyes widened almost imperceptibly, then hastily she averted her gaze from his face, turning around so that she could curl even further into her pillows. He wondered at that.

''Good night, Len,'' she said, voice muffled by her pillows. Reaching down, she grabbed the blanket he had displaced earlier, pulling it back up and letting the pure white fabric settle comfortably over her slender body. ''I hope you have fun with...whatever it is that dream eaters do, in the middle of the night,'' the last words came out as a whisper, and he didn't reply.

Cocking his head, he stared down at her. He couldn't really tell whether or not she was truly asleep, or whether she was still lying awake, waiting for him to say something to her. Slowly, he let his hand slide down her fall of teal hair, before he rose from the bed and left the room, jumping quietly out of the open window. As he landed on the ground outside, he turned around, his eyes narrowing up at her room.

What an intriguing girl. His curiosity about her was one thing which could never be satisfied. Slowly, his fingers drifted up to his lips, and he brushed the back of his hand against his mouth. His lips tilted up into a smirk - her taste. Even though he couldn't truly, genuinely feel, he couldn't deny that she tasted good. And things that tasted good...they were good for him, weren't they? So he would kiss her.

And he wouldn't share, not with anyone else. She was trapped in a contract with him, and not with anyone else. Including SeeWoo. Len's teeth bared into a snarl - _bakus _never did anything unless it was to their own advantage. It wouldn't be in his advantage to lose this girl, so he wasn't going to let her slip away from him. It wasn't because he...felt anything for her. He couldn't feel, after all. Could he?

No. He couldn't. The curse had stuck around for thousands of years, and the curse would remain for all eternity. If their curse had really been weakening, like what so many of their brethren whispered of, then Luki would have told them, wouldn't he have? Luki and Hakuo and Kaito. The three _bakus _who oversaw their world, their laws. The trio who handled discipline.

So Luki's warning had been a void one, completely unnecessary...Len exhaled. There was no point in warning him about falling in love if he couldn't love to begin with. Was there? Some of the _bakus _whispered that the curse was weakening, its grip on them slackening. Some of them claimed that they were now, occasionally, able to feel flickers of emotion, whenever they saw certain...events. People.

Len, though, was still unable to feel any emotions of his own. He still had to make use of siphoned energy, and this dependence on others for their strong emotional energy...it disadvantaged him. And _bakus _didn't do things that disadvantaged them. Len wouldn't rely on this shaky dependence either, were it not for the fact that he didn't wish to live out his immortal existence like Luki. Cold and numb.

He cast the window yet another glance. If only there was some way...some way to ascertain whether or not the curse really was weakening. So far, it was nothing but rumours and hearsay, that the curse of the gods had lessened. There wasn't really any way to confirm if it was true, since he himself hadn't felt any different from the past five hundred years he had existed.

Was it true, though? Was that the reason why Luki had warned him against breaking one of the _baku _rules? To never fall in love with a human...a rule which had been in place even before the curse had been laid down. Len didn't think so, though - logic told him that Luki simply had not wanted to punish him. Again. It was better to be safe, than to have to see Len's face again. Len knew Luki was not fond of him.

Technically, Luki couldn't dislike him. Luki couldn't feel anything. But Len had been hauled before Luki for punishment before, so many times that Len somehow sensed that Luki didn't want to see him ever again, not unless it was absolutely necessary. So perhaps the warning was little more than that. A mere warning, something to drill into Len's head that breaking the rules was never without a punishment.

There wasn't any point to thinking about this anyway. Len didn't consider any of these issues important enough to capture his attention. Regardless of whether or not he was obtaining his feelings back, it didn't matter whatsoever to his objectives. He just wanted to ensure that his energy source would be kept with him. That no one could ever snatch it away. To him, that was what was most important. Not anything else.

''Hey...SeeWoo,'' Len murmured, his eyes never leaving Miku's window. ''What do you think of my little pet now? She's certainly a fascinating little human...she even gives me the illusion that I have my emotions back...lust, at the very least,'' he laughed softly. ''What do you say? You say that you are capable of understanding emotions. What do you make of my lust, then? What does my sole desire mean?''

There was an answering laugh, and then the ash blonde dream eater was standing behind him, a light smirk on his face. Len glanced back, watching the other _baku _- he knew that SeeWoo would come for this. The other dream eater rocked back and forth on his heels, smirk fixed in place. ''Why, I thought you'd never ask.''

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

Miku lay awake in bed, still able to feel Len's fingers caressing her hair. She swallowed at the memory - the memory of his hands, stroking each strand...she gritted her teeth, burying her face deeper into her pillows. How annoying. She didn't want to keep thinking of Len like that - as if his presence in her life wasn't irritating enough. She didn't need him to occupy her mind as well. She had other things to think of.

_What other motive could I have for touching you? _She didn't want to admit it, but those words had hurt. Just a little. It wasn't like she was falling for the dream eater - she knew that she wasn't. Rather, it was more of...her inferiority complex. Was she not good enough for Len Kagamine? Did he have something against her? Was that why he didn't want to admit that he had a reason for touching her?

A fever. As if. She was getting strangely better at telling the difference between his truths and his lies. Len was a good liar, that had to be admitted. Unlike humans, when he lied he didn't look away or avoid her gaze. He spoke confidently, like he was telling the exact truth. But it was something about his eyes...whenever he told the truth, something would spark in their depths. Whenever he lied, though, his eyes were blank...too blank for her comfort.

That was how she knew the difference between when he was lying, and when he was telling the truth. Earlier, when he had been giving her that nonsense about a fever, his eyes...they had been blank. And she hadn't liked that blankness. It was too believable. With Len, nothing was ever as it seemed, and she couldn't ever forget that. He always hid the truth behind lies and concealment, behind smoke and shadows.

Almost as though he could never bring himself to say the truth. She wondered - had the only time he had ever told her the truth, been that one time when he had told her about why he was so feared in his world? But then, if that was the truth...she still had yet to see Len's cruel side. He liked to play mind games with her at times, but he hadn't been cruel. He hadn't done anything to hurt her. Not yet, at least.

Would he ever do anything to hurt her? That, she could not be sure. She swallowed, wanting to return to sleep. Her dreams lulled her, beckoning to her, and wearily she closed her eyes. _There's nothing more to think of. Len isn't anybody important, not to me._


	19. Chapter 19

_Screams. Loud screaming. People shrieking everywhere, running all over the place. I can't seem to find my way out of here. Where am I? What's going on? I don't understand...I don't know what's happening. I curl into my little corner, too frightened to come out._

_He's angry. He's really angry, and I don't know why. I'm scared when he's angry - no one knows what he might do to us, when he's not happy. The pink haired man with the nice smile, he's reaching out for me. I shrink away. ''Don't be afraid,'' he crooned, holding his hand out for me to take. ''I won't let anyone get to you. Come, we have to go now. Quickly.''_

_My fear lessens, and my shaking subsides. My hand drops into his. I trust him. His hand is so much more bigger than mine. I feel small. Compared to everyone else around here, I am small. I look around as he pulls me away. I wonder where he's taking me. Is he going to take me away from here, away from all the screaming and all of the hungry flames?_

_I'm in a hall that is filled entirely with mirrors. The mirrors are being shattered. He's breaking them - he's really angry with us. I resist the urge to cry out as another mirror shatters into little shards. The pink haired man mutters something under his breath, then quickly he shoves me into one of the still standing mirrors. I scream, but he follows closely after me. He's holding on tightly to my hand._

_''Shh, don't be afraid,'' he murmurs to me soothingly. ''You're my sister's only daughter, I won't let you get hurt,'' his blue eyes blaze with fire as he holds me tightly. My mother's brother? Uncle Luki, I remember now. Mother told me about him before, but I'd never met him. Seeing the nervousness on my face, he begins to hum a gentle lullaby._

_I remember that lullaby. It's the one my mother used to sing, the one she used to lull me to sleep. I miss my mother. I want her back. Uncle Luki continues to hum as he slowly pats my head, and I cling on tightly to him, afraid of what I might see if I ever let go of him. I don't want to look into the darkness and face whatever is hiding deep inside it._

_''Why is he so angry?'' I whimper, my hand tightening around his. ''What did we ever do to offend him?'' Uncle Luki shakes his head, looking as confused as I felt. I feel scared again. I don't know where I'm going. And he doesn't know anything either. I don't want to end up somewhere I can't get out of._

_''One of us must have done something to upset him badly,'' he murmurs. ''He's out to kill you,'' the last words came out as a soft whisper. I freeze, and then I begin to shiver. I don't know what's going on. I don't want to die. ''I don't know why, what killing you has to do with anything. But I can't let him get to you.''_

_''Where are you taking me to?'' I ask my uncle softly. He takes a long, slow look at me, his aqua blue eyes filled with a sudden sadness. I wonder why he looks so sad. He looks more than just sad - he looks as though he's deep in mourning. It's almost as though...he's going to see me for the last time. But this is not going to be the last time I can see him. Is it?_

_''Somewhere far away,'' he answered. ''I'm going to hide you somewhere else, some place so far away that no one will ever think to search for you in there. And when the time comes, when everything has subsided and calmed down, when five hundred years have come to pass, you will be reborn as a human girl. I will find you then, my sweet child.''_

_And then suddenly, I can hear him no more. There's nothing but darkness left, and I can't see my uncle anymore. It's really dark, and I can feel myself falling really quickly. There isn't any way for me to stop falling - it's a one-way road, and I can't brake. There's no one else here in this darkness, no one except for myself and my screams. I suddenly feel very afraid._

_Where am I? Who...am I?_

Miku shot awake, gasping for air. The dream she just had...she couldn't say that it had been a nightmare. It had seemed more like a story than a nightmare to her. But then, the fear and the horror which had tinged that dream...she had been sucked into the whole thing, and it had made her feel as though she had really been a part of that experience. Like all of those things had really, truly happened to her.

She swallowed, her heart racing. Unlike most other dreams, which flowed away faster the harder she tried to hold on to them, she could vividly remember each and every detail of this dream. She could recall the heat of the flames as the hall filled with mirrors was burnt up, the glass shattering as each mirror was thrown to the floor. Someone had been furious, though she had no idea who that someone had been.

And then...there had been that nice man. The man with the pink hair and the aqua blue eyes. Uncle Luki, whoever that had been. Even now, she couldn't help thinking of him as her uncle, even though she had already left the dream. She frowned, thinking a little bit more about the dream - she remembered the fear, the horror at seeing all those mirrors being broken into tiny pieces. Those mirrors were important.

She thought that in her dream, she had been a young child. She remembered feeling like a child. She had trusted her uncle, and then he had led her into darkness...protecting her from whatever it had been who had wanted to kill her. She...she hadn't been human. She knew that in her dream, she had been anything but human - but what had she been then?

Shakily, she sat up on her bed, swinging her legs onto the floor. She wanted to take a breath of fresh air, to try and forget all about that strange dream she had just had. Waiting for her eyes to focus, she shook her head and rose from the thick mattress, sliding her body out from beneath the white blankets which covered her. Idly, she wondered where Len had went - perhaps he was out playing in other dreams.

Walking over to her large, open window, she leant against the window sill, drawing in a deep breath of night air. The fresh air invigorated her, making her feel slightly less dizzy. Her eyelids fluttering, she grasped the window sill tightly, trying to both forget and retain the dream. It was important to her, somehow - she knew it had to be important. It had felt more like a memory than an actual dream to her.

Sighing, she looked down at the ground, then she felt her eyes widen in surprise. Len and SeeWoo were both down there, talking to each other intently. SeeWoo was wearing a frown on his face, but Len looked as emotionless as ever. They seemed to be having some form of disagreement, from what she could see. She wondered what exactly the two dream eaters were talking about. How interesting.

As she watched the two _bakus, _she noticed Len's shoulders stiffen. Before she could duck back into her room, Len's head snapped up, and his midnight blue gaze met hers. His eyes narrowed slightly, almost imperceptibly at her, and it was only then that she ducked back inside her room, feeling her heart beating rapidly in her chest. She suddenly felt extremely nervous, though she couldn't explain to herself why.

After waiting for ten minutes or so, still standing out of sight at the window, she thought that it would be safe to take another look outside. As she glanced out, she saw that both of the dream eaters had disappeared, and satisfied she withdrew back inside her room. Perhaps Len was not interested in what she had been watching them for - she didn't know how she would explain herself to him, anyway.

Turning around, she prepared to go back to sleep - and then, to her utter shock, she found that she was nose-to-nose with a certain blond haired, blue eyed dream eater. She was so close to him that, if she had taken another step closer, their lips would have touched. Len cocked his head, staring at her as her heart threatened to jump out of its chest. She was suddenly nervous, unsure of what to do.

''So someone was being a little curious about what we were doing, weren't they?'' Len drawled, one of his eyebrows arching at her. She swallowed, unable to back away - he had her pressed between him and the wall, and she couldn't move away from him...even if she had wanted to. The air between them was so thick with tension, she wondered whether he was able to feel it...able to feel her nervousness.

''I hadn't intended to be looking,'' she hastened to reassure him. He stared at her, his lips tensing a little in what appeared to be disbelief. She wanted to frown at that - surely he didn't think that she had nothing better to do, other than to watch him from her window. She hadn't even known that he would still be outside her house. It was his own fault that she had accidentally seen them. He should have left.

''Why should I believe what you say?'' he questioned her bluntly, his eyes regarding her coolly the whole while. She pressed her lips together mutinously - there was no requirement whatsoever for her to try and convince him about the truth. He was free to believe what he wished. Whether he trusted her words or not was entirely up to him. She didn't see any need to try and change his mind.

He recognised the stubborn look on her face, and his lips tilted up into a smirk. ''So hard-headed,'' he whispered softly, his hand reaching up to glide smoothly down her face. ''It doesn't matter to me whether you had intended to watch us or not. Either way, it flatters me - I just wish that I was able to enjoy it,'' his voice remained cool. ''But so long as you didn't manage to hear what we were discussing...''

''What _were _you two talking about?'' she asked him curiously, ignoring the way his fingers lingered on her cheek. It didn't mean anything, anyway. She was nothing more than a plaything to pass his time with, no more than a foolish mortal girl who had gotten herself trapped in a deal with the devil. ''I thought that you and SeeWoo weren't exactly...very welcoming of each other's presence,'' she said hesitantly.

Len shrugged, his blank eyes searching hers. His eyes were midnight blue, intense and striking. Especially when coupled with his pale skin. In the darkness of the night, his dark eyes seemed black - when the moonlight shone on his face, however, she was able to see the faint shimmer of dark blue in his irises. Absently, she thought faintly about just how beautiful his eyes were. He really did have the loveliest eyes.

''I see no need to tell you what SeeWoo and I were talking about,'' he said simply, which annoyed her a little. His lips tilted up into a slightly crooked smile. ''But I am rather interested in knowing what you're doing, up and awake,'' he added, his voice smooth. ''After all, now is night-time, the time of the _bakus. _It's definitely not a very good time for a frail human girl to be watching things she shouldn't...''

''You're irritating,'' she told him, feeling a little aggravated. ''Go away,'' she huffed, trying to slip out past him. His arm shot out against one side of her head, blocking her from leaving, his arms pinning her in. He continued watching her intently, ignoring the way she tried to push his arm away. He was so much more stronger than she was that her feeble attempts to shove him away from her probably didn't register at all.

''It's not going to be so easy to make me leave,'' he murmured, his midnight blue eyes trapping her, making her feel as though she was drowning in their mesmerising depths. Her breath caught as he continued staring at her - why was he so unnaturally handsome? She didn't find it very fair, that he was just so...good-looking. Being around him made her feel tongue-tied, and she never knew what to say.

He tilted his head to one side, his face nearing hers. Gently, his lips brushed against her cheek, and then he withdrew from her just as slowly. She resisted the urge to reach up and touch her cheek, to touch the place where he had just kissed her. His eyes seemed to hold some kind of question, but she didn't know what that question was. Nor did she have any idea how she was supposed to answer him.

Hesitantly, giving her time to withdraw if she wanted to, he lowered his face to hers once again, but this time his lips met hers. It was a gentle kiss, and she had completely no idea how to react to it. As unsure as him, she kissed back, their lips moving uncertainly against each other. She compared this to the other time he had kissed her - he had been rough and possessive then. This kiss was neither.

This kiss was gentle and...sweet. It was an innocent kiss, rather chaste, and before long he drew away from her, his eyes narrowed. That dark blue seemed to be darker than ever, and she wondered at that. His hand reached up to once again caress her cheek. She just continued watching him, not knowing how else to react, but as his hand stroked her face, she couldn't help but lean her cheek into his cupped palm.

''I'm confused,'' he whispered, seeming unsure of himself. She let her hand touch his, pressing his hand against her face. Her eyes closed - confused? He wasn't the only one confused. She herself had no idea what was going on. The dream she had woken up from had already befuddled her - now, she just became even more uncertain of what was happening.

''Well, then that makes two of us.''


	20. Chapter 20

_Just kill me now, and be done with it all. _Len idly let his fingers slide against her soft cheek, tracing patterns over her skin. His other arm was wrapped loosely around her slender waist as she leant her head against his chest.

She was asleep. His lips tilted up briefly, into an unemotional smile, then he sighed and leant his head back against the wall. Don't fall in love with her, that was what Luki had told him. What would be the consequences of that action, should he break the laws of the dream eaters? How harsh would his punishment be?

And why did he even care? He hadn't broken any laws...had he? He frowned carelessly, not liking the direction in which his thoughts were taking. Searching for a distraction, he probed Miku's dreams - she was dreaming of food. Again, his lips tilted up into a smile. Food, of course. The one sole, guilty pleasure of many humans.

He felt like he could just sit here, cross-legged, for the entire night, with Miku cradled against his chest. He had been persuaded by the delicate girl not to leave, so he had stayed with her, holding her until she had fallen asleep. And now, he was still here...for he had absolutely no idea what his next move ought to be.

This was confusing, and Len disliked confusion. After all, he hated it whenever the piercing clarity of his thoughts was interrupted and broken. It could be unspeakably annoying, especially when he was a creature who thrived on the clear logic of his thinking. Being an emotionless creature, cold, hard logic was the only thing he had left to function on.

What was so confusing? His attraction to a mere human, that was what. The yearning he felt for her, whenever he meddled in her dreams - the yearning which was so strong that, even while he was awake and emotionless, he could still remember that longing. The longing for her gentle touch, the craving for the sound of his name, spoken in her soft voice.

He thought that his species, the cursed _bakus, _were supposed to be unable to feel, outside of dreams. The show of emotion that came with siphoned energy affected only observers - the _bakus _themselves were unable to experience any of the feelings that they were faking. So why was it that he wanted this girl so much?

If, in her dreams, he longed for her...did that mean that he had broken their laws? Len bit his lip as he wondered, winding one of Miku's locks of teal hair around his finger. Had he really fallen for a mere mortal? Or was there just some other godly being out there, trying to mess with him? At that thought, his lips curled into a slight sneer. Gods. How he hated them.

Why was it that all the dream eaters had to be punished for a crime that they hadn't even committed? Len didn't really know, precisely, what the offending _baku _had done. But he had heard rumours that a small group of _bakus _had thought that it would be amusing, to mess with the dreams of the king of the gods. Which had greatly upset the king god. No one knew how his dreams had been affected, though...

And so, because of this one small group of devious miscreants, the king of the gods had punished all of the dream eaters by taking their emotions away. Apparently, the perpetrators themselves had been severely punished, along with the stripping of their emotions. Many dream eaters had died that day, as they tried to flee from the wrath of the king of the gods.

Of course, it hadn't been fair to punish every single one of the _bakus _for the mischievous acts of a small group of them. But then, the gods were...gods. They didn't care about fairness - all they wanted was their revenge. They didn't think about the consequences of their actions, because they were gods. And gods weren't affected by anything. At that thought, Len's scowl deepened - those egoistic bastards.

But all that about the mischief was only a rumour. He couldn't be sure if such a thing had really happened, since he hadn't been there when the whole thing had taken place. When the mischief makers had been evidently discovered to be the ones guilty of the crime, Len had been a mere teenager, only eighteen. And when the god king had went on a rampage, destroying the _baku_ Hall of Mirrors, Len had hastily fled, desperate to keep his emotions.

The king had decided on that punishment, of stripping away their emotions. For, if the _bakus_ all had their feelings taken away from them, then they would no longer wish to have fun. There would be no more incentive for them to play a prank on the god king, and he would no longer have to fear the dream eaters, fooling around with his dreams. Even the _bakus _had to admit that this punishment was a smart one.

But Len couldn't appreciate that. He had never truly appreciated having his emotions until there came the risk of losing them. And when he had run away from it all, he had decided that he would rather risk dying than being separated from his senses. From being able to feel. For, without his emotions, even the sights, the smells, his five senses, were all muted. There were no emotions for him to enjoy them with.

If this rumour was true, and that mischief was really the only reason why the _bakus _had been stripped of their emotions, then it would be entirely because the dream eaters had become too arrogant. They had thought themselves powerful enough to mess around in the dreams of the king, without having to fear any possible repercussions. Perhaps the king did fear the _bakus..._enough to punish them all in this way.

Perhaps this punishment was good, to a slight extent. At least, it got rid of that said arrogance. Even if it seemed as though several _bakus _were still rather overly proud, despite their emotions having been stripped from them. SeeWoo would be one example of an still arrogant dream eater. Len knew better than to pretend to be something he was not, however. Prideful.

_Len? _Len stiffened as he heard the voice, resounding in his head. Instinctively, he searched the room for the source of the voice, though he knew that the speaker wouldn't be anywhere nearby. _Where are you? Kaito and Hakuo need to speak to you about several matters. As do I. Or should I have to visit the mortal girl's house to find you, again?_

_No, no. There's no need for that, _Len answered in his typical flat way. _I'm coming. What trouble have I got into this time, Luki, such that the disciplinary trio of the dream eaters all need to speak to me? _He wasn't looking forward to meeting all three at the same time. The last time that had happened, he had been punished. Brutally, even by his and Luki's standards.

_No, we're not going to punish you, _Luki had evidently picked up on the direction of Len's thoughts. _We just need to ask you something. About...Miku Hatsune. Your mortal. Since you are currently the dream eater who is handling all of her nightmares, we have several questions involving her...that we thought you would be the best suited to answer._

Len remained silent as he digested that bit of information. _And what if I choose not to tell you your answers? _Len finally replied. _If I tell you what you want without...her knowing anything about it, then how does that make me any better than a sneak? _His lips tilted into a smirk - he didn't care about what other people labelled him as, but he did want to make things more difficult for the disciplinary trio.

_As though you had any morales to begin with, Len Kagamine, _Luki sounded unimpressed. _We know that you're just trying to make life difficult for us, but you cannot disobey our summons. As you know. There is a reason why the three of us are in charge of discipline, Len - you wouldn't want us to send out a Hunt._

_No, I don't, _Len agreed, unperturbed. _But tell me, why should I agree? Let's say that I don't wish to encumber you. What is there in it, for me? None of us will ever do something without there being some advantage to it, for us. We are not an altruistic people. What will I stand to gain, if I were to answer your questions? At present, I see nothing which can benefit me._

There was a silence in his head, for a while. Finally, there was an audible sigh, and Luki spoke in his mind once again. _We will tell you the exact reason why all the dream eaters have been punished in this way. The crime that we committed, why the three of us are the disciplinary trio, and how your precious little mortal is linked to all of this. Is that an acceptable term for your bargain, Kagamine?_

Len blinked as he understood the implications of what he was being told. _Wait. You three? You were part of...the perpetrator group, all those centuries ago? _Len wondered whether this was some kind of joke - except that, of course, Luki was unemotional. And therefore, the dream eater had absolutely no reason to lie to him. But that _Luki _had been a part of the group which had meddled in the king god's dreams...

_You can't believe any of the rumours that you hear, _Luki's voice in his mind was almost...bitter, for once. Instead of the characteristic flatness that Len was used to. _We did absolutely nothing to result in our kind being punished in this way. The king god...just needed a reason to take our emotions away. I will tell you what you want to know, but only because you are important in this as well._

_Me? _Len was reeling. _I don't know what's going on, Luki. But...were we really punished for no reason? _Surely the king of the gods could not be that cruel. Could he? Len realised with a start that he had no idea. The god king was not a god Len was particularly familiar with, and it was possible that they had all been punished in jest. Punished for a crime they hadn't committed.

He suddenly recalled something else he had heard before, throughout the centuries. Part of the group that had been specially punished, for interfering in the king god's dreams, had been the trio that was in charge of all the _bakus _now. The rest of the apparent group...had all been killed. He had forgotten that little sliver of information, until now. When Luki's words had triggered that particular memory.

But why? Had there been a reason for that? Luki did the equivalent of a mental shrug, in Len's mind. _Well, whether it was for no reason or not, I cannot really say. After all, to the king it might have been more than sufficient reason to punish us. But believe me, we did not have our feelings torn away from us because we were meddling in the god king's dreams._

_Then I believe you. But I want an explanation from you, Hakuo and Kaito, later. _Len glanced up at the ceiling, absent-mindedly stroking Miku's silky hair. _I want to know what's the reason why my emotions were stripped away. And I want to know what I have to do with any of this. And how Miku is involved. If I answer your questions, will you tell me?_

_Yes. _The answer was short and firm, and then Len felt Luki's grip on his mind disappear. He knew the pink haired dream eater expected Len to return to the dream dimension now, and Len sighed again. He turned to look at the sleeping girl who was leaning against his chest. Again, he wondered at why he was doing all this.

Why did he allow her to be so close to him? Why did he allow himself to accept her nearness? This was confusing. Maybe Luki would be able to answer all that. What did he have to do with anything? And what importance did this mortal girl have, to the _baku _trio? Perhaps she was linked to the curse, in a way - Len couldn't imagine any other reason why the three _bakus _would take an interest in her, otherwise.

But what could Miku Hatsune possibly have to do with their emotionless curse? She was, after all, nothing but a mortal. And mere mortals couldn't interfere in the affairs of the gods.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

Luki sighed, turning away from the mirror he had been using to communicate with Len. The mirrors were portals that they used to travel to the human world, and through them, Luki could communicate with _bakus _in the mortal dimension. He wondered how long it would take for Len to come up to the dream realm.

''Is he willing?'' Hakuo asked, looking irritable. Amongst the three of them, Hakuo Yowane was the dream eater who was the most impatient. Len thought that Luki was bad. He hadn't seen anything like Hakuo yet. Hakuo was the one who came up with the harshest punishments. He was a stickler for the rules, and Len ought to thank the gods that he had yet to be punished by Hakuo. Hakuo knew how to _hurt._

''If we agree to tell him what was the cause of the curse, all those centuries ago,'' Luki answered, his muted feelings swirling around in him. He swallowed, still largely unsure about how to deal with his emotions. After such a long period of being unemotional, this sudden onslaught of feelings...was hard to suppress and control. He feared that the presence of his emotions would rob him of his logic.

''I don't see why we should not tell him,'' Kaito Shion agreed, staring out at the mirror. The final third of their trio was, by far, the most lenient of them. He was the one who the _bakus _went to when they were in trouble, for it was known that Kaito would always do his best to help them out of said trouble. Luki always told Kaito that he was too soft for his own good.

''Because he's not supposed to be involved, and you know that, Kaito!'' Hakuo snapped, still sounding irritable. ''We're not supposed to involve any outsiders...now that we have located the key, we aren't supposed to do anything that will let the other dream eaters suspect something. Of all the people to end up with the key, it had to be that Kagamine...'' Hakuo's voice trailed off, becoming a mutter.

''How long do you think it'll take, for the others to realise that...we're slowly getting our emotions back?'' Luki asked slowly, making the other two _bakus _glance at him in surprise. ''They're bound to have noticed. There are rumours all over the place. I don't know whether it's a result of the key, or whether it's because Yuma has been becoming lax...but we definitely can feel to some degree, now.''

''Shush,'' Kaito said quickly, eyes darting around suspiciously. ''You know we cannot speak freely as and when we want. There's no need to alert the gods that we are getting our feelings back...it might take centuries before our emotions are restored to us, in their full degree. Have we not agreed that it's for the best, that we don't reveal our returning feelings, for the time being?'' Luki tensed up at his words.

''But the others are bound to notice eventually,'' Luki argued. ''I'll be shocked if the gods haven't noticed yet, what with all the rumours flying all over the place...what really does surprise me is the fact that they have yet to make a move. Do you think that they have forgotten about the curse?'' The look that Hakuo shot him at that comment made Luki feel rather stupid.

''The gods don't forget the curses they've set on others,'' Hakuo said scathingly. Luki missed the times before Hakuo had obtained his emotions back. The white haired man was notorious for his acidly sharp tongue. ''No, if you ask me, they're biding their time. Waiting for one of us to really prove that the curse is weakening. Then they'll swoop in and kill all of us. It wouldn't be beyond them to do that.''

_So you say that the gods are leaving us alone...to see how long it would take before one of us slips up, and gives them an excuse to remove all of us? _Luki communicated to the other two telepathically, painfully aware of the possibility that people might be spying on them. Hakuo and Kaito both nodded, though Hakuo looked more grim than Kaito did. Kaito looked rather unsettled, and Luki couldn't blame him.

The key. _It all boils down to the key. If it weren't for the key, perhaps we wouldn't have the chance to obtain back what we rightfully deserve, now. _Luki bit the inside of his cheek as he thought. The key...the thought of the key made his heart twist a little. He had missed the key, had hated the fact that the king's rampage had forced him to hide the key away.

His sister was missing the key, as well. She would no doubt be glad to know that he had managed to locate the key...provided his sister could even comprehend what he was telling her, to begin with. He wondered how much further, how much longer his sister's mental state could deteriorate for. He hadn't known that it was possible for a _baku _to go mad.

''Having second thoughts about asking after the key?'' Kaito asked, faint traces of sympathy in his voice. The words broke into Luki's mental reverie, and Luki straightened up, shaking his head. No. He couldn't possibly have second thoughts about this. The key was for the good of all their brethren - the key was their possible solution to the curse. This key could get them all out of this emotionless hell that they lived in.

Luki knew, from the stern look on Hakuo's face, that the white haired man had been listening to his mental speech. Hakuo ran his fingers through his long white hair, which he had tied up into a ponytail. His hair reached all the way to the middle of his back, and Luki began to feel slightly perturbed by those red eyes, as they gazed unblinkingly at him. Finally, Hakuo sighed, sounding uncharacteristically weary.

''How far are you willing to go to protect her?'' Hakuo asked bluntly. ''She is the key to our kind, to our curse. But if there was a possibility that she might be harmed, while she tries to free all of us from our emotionless cage, what will you do?'' The question struck at a particularly vulnerable spot in Luki's mind, and the pink haired _baku _whirled around, teeth gritting.

''I will always do what is the best for our kind,'' Luki hissed, his blue eyes narrowing at Hakuo. The white haired man shrugged, his white hair glinting a faint silver under the soft lights of their meeting chamber. His crimson eyes were unreadable and blank - as blank as the unemotional _bakus. _No emotions whatsoever, nothing that could give his thoughts away.

''I'm not doubting your responsibility to our kind,'' Hakuo shrugged. ''I know that you would always work for the best of the dream eaters. But...if the key would be killed, in the process of freeing the rest of us from our cage, then what would you do? Would you let her die, then? Just so that all of us can finally escape?''

Luki hesitated. Could he? He wondered if Hakuo wanted him to think of the key's safety, or whether he wanted him to think of the greater good, through all those questions. Kaito sighed, shaking his head at Luki's reluctance. ''We know that it'll be hard for you, Luki...she is your niece, after all. But you don't have to decide now. We could always wait, after all. Perhaps the curse is unravelling now. We do not necessarily have to use the key, to get back our feelings...''

Before Luki could retort, someone knocked on the door, and all three dream eaters tensed. ''Who is it?'' Hakuo called, voice returning to its usual flatness. The three _bakus _had to keep up the appearance that they weren't feeling any different from centuries ago - they couldn't afford to let the gods know that the dream eaters were slowly being able to feel again.

''Len Kagamine, reporting as requested,'' came a droll sounding voice. Len Kagamine. The three of them exchanged a quick look, then Kaito reached out, flicking his fingers. The locks undid themselves, and after a moment's pause, the door slowly swung open inwards.

The blond _baku _stepped inside the meeting room, his dark blue eyes narrowed. He met each of their gazes steadily, not showing any sign of fear or respect - not that he could, anyway. Nor did he wish to bother wasting energy on faking an emotion he didn't feel, Luki knew. Luki didn't think that Len was one of the _bakus _who had regained the ability to feel on their own, without any emotional energy.

Yes, other than he, Kaito and Hakuo, there were other dream eaters who were able to feel, albeit if only a little. But the presence of dream eaters who were now able to feel and sense feelings, without the help of any emotional energy, was greatly exciting the rest of the _baku _community. Soon, the three of them were going to have to step in, and warn their brethren not to draw the attention of the gods, if they wished to retain their muted emotions.

Len closed the door behind him, eyes narrowing as he met three separate gazes. ''So, ask me whatever it is that you need to know,'' he spoke, voice as flat as it always had been.


	21. Chapter 21

''Len?'' Miku mumbled, struggling to force her eyes open. Her hand groped at the bedsheets next to her, but came up empty. She sighed - Len must have left again. She wondered what he was doing now, as there was going to be school today...not that he usually cared about that, since he didn't actually need schooling.

But then suddenly, a cool hand gripped hers, and she tensed. She felt a breath of crisp, minty air, brushing lightly against her cheek. Her own breath caught, and her head shot up, her gaze clashing with familiar eyes the colour of a midnight sky. Len's hand tightened around hers, his blue eyes piercing her. ''I'm here,'' he whispered. ''I knew you would miss me, so I came back for you. Why are you up so early?''

Early? Miku glanced at the clock on her bedside table, and realised why he might say that - it was three in the morning. She had been woken up three times in the span of four hours...and all three times, Len Kagamine had been around somewhere. ''I don't know,'' she answered honestly. ''I just couldn't sleep anymore. You came back? Where did you go earlier, after I had fallen asleep?'' She saw him pause.

When he next spoke, his voice sounded a little strange. ''Humans shouldn't try to find out about the affairs of the _bakus,_'' came the quiet reply. ''You should go back to sleep, Miku. You still have school later, and if you stay up until then, you're going to be too tired to concentrate. You're the one who has to score well for your exams, not me...I'll hold you again, okay?'' his fingers swept lightly against her forehead.

''No, Len,'' she mumbled, her voice still a sleepy slur. ''I don't want to sleep. Tell me what you did when you left, just now. What are you hiding from me? I know you're hiding something...why can't you tell me what it is?'' she tried to push herself up into a sitting position, but then Len immediately forced her back down. His touch was gentle but firm, and reluctantly she lay down again, her eyes searching his blue ones.

''I won't tell you,'' he whispered, running his hand against her cheek. ''I'm not allowed to say anything to you...and even if I could, I wouldn't reveal what I know to you, either,'' he used his thumb to trace circular patterns against her skin. ''Don't be angry at me, Miku. There are certain things in this world that...just aren't meant for humans to know about. If you knew what I did, others would kill you for it.''

She froze at his words. ''Kill me?'' she echoed, her voice weak. ''Why would they do such a thing?'' her mind did its best to think - she was still sleepy, and her brain wasn't functioning at its full capability. ''Would they try to kill you as well, for...knowing what you do?'' she asked, her voice soft and slurred. ''Who are the 'they' that you refer to, Len? What kind of knowledge do you possess, and why can't I know it...?''

''It's nothing important, Miku,'' came the low whisper. ''Kill me? Yes, they'll certainly try - but that's only if they know that I've found out about everything,'' he knelt next to her, so that their faces were at the same level. ''And they'll never find out about what I learnt. I'll make sure of that. As for why you can't know of this...it's because you're trapped in a human shell, Miku. Humans aren't supposed to know anything.''

Len watched as Miku's eyelids threatened to close. She was obviously feeling tired - why wouldn't she return to her dreams? After meeting with the disciplinary trio, and finding out the truth about everything...he swallowed. It was only now that he knew how important this fragile girl was, and if she ever got hurt...he would never be able to break free of their curse. Especially because of their deal...

He knew that she had been asleep, but then the moment he had returned to the mortal world, stepping inside her room, she had woken up. How attuned was she to his presence? Was this how strong their apparent bond was? Len didn't know whether or not he truly wanted this connection, between the both of them - he didn't think that he was capable of looking after such a huge...responsibility. Was he up to that?

It was the deal. Were it not for their impossible deal...''That's not fair at all,'' Miku whispered, her voice as gentle and sweet as a mother's lullaby. She looked so innocent then, staring up at him from beneath her blankets - who would have thought that such a delicate girl...could be the key to everything? The solution to all their troubles? When he had first encountered her, he hadn't even considered such a possibility.

''Life isn't fair,'' he answered simply, letting some bitterness seep into his words so that he could drive home his point - even if that took up some of his energy. For it was true, wasn't it? _Life isn't fair. _His whole life, he had lived by that, knowing that gods were all self-centred bastards who didn't give a damn about anyone other than themselves. But never had he felt the impact of that saying more than he did, now.

''Everyone's unfair. Even you are, Len,'' her eyelids fluttered. ''But I suppose that you're already more fair than most others are,'' she yawned, clearly fighting against the waves of lulling drowsiness which were threatening to overwhelm her. He knew she was fighting, because he was the one trying to lull her to sleep. ''Since you never lied. You threatened, you blackmailed...but you never really lied.''

What was she saying? He had lied to her numerous times before, more times than he could even care to remember. He parted his lips, wanting to ask her what she meant, but then before he could do that, her eyelids had fluttered closed, and she had fallen asleep. Len exhaled - it was the first time he had seen someone succumb so very...quickly, to their tiredness. The way she fell asleep so fast...

It was inhuman. No mortal could fall asleep so quickly, so readily - they always entered a light stage of unconsciousness first. But Miku was already trapped in her dreams, and the speed with which she had started dreaming, falling asleep so deeply...he knew why, now. Because she wasn't human. He should have suspected from the very start - but ignorant fool he had been, he had thought of her as mere prey...

A little part of him was unwilling to believe everything that the disciplinary trio had just told him. That part of him was what clung on to normalcy, refusing to allow any part of his dreary life change. The part of him which was comfortable with constancy, reluctant to let what was familiar morph into something that was...not. But the reality of his situation struck him hard - he couldn't hide away from it.

_''She belongs to you, for that is the deal you made with her. And you will regret that, for she is the key that we _bakus _have tried so hard to find - she is the one who is supposed to free us. To destroy the gods themselves. And you are the only one who can control her, for you are her owner, and she will not obey any of us. She can't. She can only listen to you.''_

He hadn't understood. He hadn't known what they had meant by a key. _''What do you mean, a key to destroy the gods? She is no more than a mortal. Are you referring to the deal that I made with her? She doesn't even know that she belongs to me...I made her forget. How could a mortal possibly be any key? She couldn't destroy the gods. She's too weak.''_

And so he had remained in denial. He could still remember the faint traces of sympathy that had been present in Kaito's eyes, as Len stubbornly refused to accept what he was being told. It was a sympathy that shouldn't have been there, and it had made Len wonder about what other secrets the disciplinary trio were hiding, from the rest of their brethren. What of a key? He had never heard of any such key, not ever.

_''You wished to know of why we were all punished, don't you?'' Hakuo's voice was as flat as it usually was - but perhaps, this time Len's ears were playing a trick on him, for he could hear traces of anger in the silver haired man's voice. ''Because of this key. This key is what can free us from the gods, in what way we do not know - but the gods fear the key, for they wish to retain their grip on power. That is why.''_

_''What key are you talking about, exactly?'' Len demanded. ''I don't have any idea what you're saying. I don't have possession of whatever it is that you're talking about. And I don't see how any of what you're telling me now is related to our punishment. Why did the king god strip away all of our emotions, if no one had ever tried to tamper in his dreams before?''_

_''That is why we were punished,'' Luki interjected before Hakuo, who was visibly irritated, could speak again. ''Until this day, no one knows what was his exact reason...but we know that he needed an excuse to try and kill as many dream eaters as he could. Especially the children. For the Fates had told the king about a key, a _baku _child...one who would be able to end his reign as the god king.''_

_''We were punished solely for that?'' Len was incredulous. ''Just so that he could kill one of our children?'' A bad feeling was beginning to uncoil itself, within his gut. It wasn't an emotion, so to speak - it was an instinct. An instinct which told him that a storm was brewing...a storm which he was far from prepared for. And he didn't like that thought._

_''It was a front,'' Luki said dully. ''So that our people wouldn't rebel against him...we are not weak, Len. As you should know. He feared that we would rise up and rebel, if we found out that our genocide was solely so that he could exterminate one single child...a unique child, for she was half _baku, _and half...human. The Fates warned that a halfling would come...''_

_''A halfling?'' Len scoffed. ''How could we possibly have any halfling child? The whole dream eater world would have kicked up an uproar, if they had known about the presence of a halfling. But I heard nothing of such an occurrence. Anyway, which _baku _could possibly deign themselves to breed with a...mortal? None of us would ever do such a thing -''_

_''My sister did,'' Luki cut in, his voice deathly quiet. Len immediately froze, not quite wanting to believe what he had just heard. ''She had a child with a mortal man, and when her daughter was born, the king god became worried. It was said by the Fates that a halfling child of the _bakus _would be the key to his downfall. We managed to hide her, but...''_

_''The king god found out,'' Kaito said, noticing the way Luki's voice trailed off. ''He realised that a halfling had been borne of our kind. And he grew nervous. Under the pretence that some of our number had tampered with his dreams, he stormed our Halls, trying his best to kill all the children that he could see...hoping that he would manage to kill the halfling.''_

_Len didn't know how to react. ''Then...what of the disciplinary trio? And what of the halfling child? If she is this key...then I take it that the god king doesn't know that she hasn't died?'' he asked, his eyes darting rapidly between all three of the dream eaters, standing before him in the chamber. Everything was different, and he didn't know what he should do now._

_''The god king believes that she died - but he was angry at us,'' Luki answered, voice flat. ''Kaito, Hakuo and I were the ones who had sheltered my niece from his wrath. He found out about that, and he punished us for it. We were sent to be the disciplinary trio for we're visual reminders of the wrath of the king god - he can punish us as and when he likes.''_

_Len wasn't imagining the bitterness in Luki's voice. ''Then what happened to your niece?'' he asked softly. ''The key? The girl who's supposed to be the downfall of the king of the gods? If she didn't die that time...'' Len shuddered, recalling the devastation which had happened on that very day, ''then where did she go? She's hiding away somewhere, isn't she?''_

_''I hid her in a rift, in the black void between Space and Time. In the dimension between dimensions,'' Luki said slowly. ''In five hundred years time, she was to be reincarnated into the body of a human girl. Even if she is mortal now, she is still the key - she still has the power to bring the gods down. The key that we speak of...happens to be Miku Hatsune.''_

His Miku was the key to everything, the power that no one could ever destroy. _I am the power they can't tear down _- he choked back a helpless laugh, staring at the peacefully slumbering tealette. She looked so harmless now. So far from dangerous. To think that this fragile little mortal was what had the king god so frightened. And to think...that he was the one who held sole control over all that power.

The Fates predicted the birth of a halfling child, born from the union between a human and a dream eater. A child who possessed power like the world had never seen before, a child who could make the very gods themselves bow down to her. How was he supposed to control her then, if even the gods themselves feared her? She didn't know about her past, for now - but what would happen if she realised it?

Because of the deal...it was foolish now, in hindsight. To bind someone like her to himself. But at that moment, he hadn't thought about anything beyond making her his. Now, he was bound to a creature so powerful, even the king of the gods himself was frightened of what she could do. Even while trapped in a mortal shell, there was no telling what she might be capable of. She was the key to their emotionless cage.

What powers did she have? What was it about her that made the gods fear her so? Len let his fingers linger over the soft skin of her cheek - he wondered if he would ever have the chance to find out. _She'll listen to no one other than you...the key is highly specific in that way. She has to belong to someone, and you were the one who chose her for your own. Now, you have to deal with it. It was your own choice._

She was his human...a fragile little mortal who looked like she couldn't hurt a fly. And she was the key to everything, the only person who could set them all free from the prison of their unemotional existence. It was difficult to reconcile the two different impressions - he was unable to match that sense of power to someone so beautifully delicate. He swallowed, his fingers brushing lightly against her cheek.

He had to talk to another dream eater, he knew that. A dream eater used to handling power beyond anything he could imagine - a dream eater who would know precisely how to deal with their key. The _baku _key to their apparent freedom. He knew he couldn't do this by himself - he had never once experienced playing with such a dangerous fire. He needed to speak to someone who had already been burnt before.

He was going to have to talk to SeeWoo.

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_**Solitaryloner: **I realised that the whole key thing was a little sudden. It was like, BOOM and suddenly Miku is this super powerful key who can like, destroy the world or something. And she doesn't even know that. Poor Len._

_It wasn't that unexpected, right? With Miku being supremely powerful, and the king god's excuses and everything? I mean, I wasn't trying to make this appear rushed...but the chapter does feel a little rushed to me, like I revealed too much at one go...do you guys feel like this entire chapter was rushed out, in terms of overall plot development?_


	22. Chapter 22

''Oh dear,'' SeeWoo drawled, eyeing him over the top of his glass. Len just stared impassively back at him, his arms folded loosely across his chest. ''You're willing to ask me, the one _baku _you absolutely cannot stand, for help? Then clearly, you're in a desperate situation. I cannot imagine the great Len Kagamine ever being willing to ask for my assistance, otherwise.''

''You don't even know what it is that I require help with,'' Len pointed out, his voice cool. _He will not believe that what I say is the truth. At least, he won't believe it at first. After a while, he'll come to accept it, even if he does not want to. _SeeWoo blinked languidly up at him, before the ash blond dream eater finally set his glass down on a nearby table, lacing his fingers together. He looked rather expectant.

Len was in SeeWoo's room, back in the dream dimension. It was generically decorated, much like how most of the other _baku _rooms were personalised. All of them were rather like dormitories, and SeeWoo's room was no exception. After all, in the minds of the _bakus, _what was the point of decorating one's room if they had no emotions to appreciate it with? Len looked around the room for a brief moment.

It was black, completely black, reflecting the nocturnal preferences that most dream eaters held. All the _bakus _possessed rooms that were of that calming night-time colour - they found that it was a colour which soothed them, even if they had no emotions with which to calm down. SeeWoo sat cross-legged in bed, his piercing blue grey gaze boring a hole right through Len. Len tilted his head, wondering how to start.

''You know about the lost key?'' he finally asked. Apparently, the legend about the _baku _key was not a story which every single dream eater knew about...but SeeWoo was a rather different _baku _from others. Which was the sole reason why Len was willing to admit that this young upstart was more than capable of being his rival. SeeWoo possessed a keen knowledge of the legendaries that was rivalled by none.

SeeWoo cocked his head. ''Yes, I know of it. I heard rumours, but I don't understand what that has to do with you looking me up. I don't have the key, in case you're wondering about that,'' he added, his gaze narrowing. ''I've told myself that I'll never dabble in things too powerful for myself ever again, and believe me when I say that I have no possession which can ever compete with the strength of that key.''

''I know you don't have the key,'' Len stated baldly, ''because I am the one who now owns it.'' He ignored the widening of SeeWoo's eyes. ''I own the ability to bring the gods down, which is all very well...except for the fact that I have no idea how to control it,'' he glanced away from the shocked dream eater. ''I need your help with that,'' he gritted the words out. ''You have played with fire before, haven't you?''

''Start from the very beginning,'' SeeWoo's voice had lost its earlier laid back drawl, and now, it was hard and authoritative. Len had rarely ever heard this particular dream eater sounding authoritative, and it would have been a surprise if he had been capable of feeing that emotion. ''How the hell did you, Len Kagamine, stumble across something that the gods were willing to kill for, just to hide it away? Who is the key?''

''Miku,'' Len allowed some emotional energy to seep into his voice, and that energy manifested itself as bitterness. ''I own her because of our deal, and because of that deal...I own the key. For she is the key which unlocks the demise of the gods, of the god king himself,'' he laughed softly, not knowing whether he ought to be gleeful or terrified. Len was rarely ever frightened, but in a case such as this one...

Well, he thought that he had justified reasons to be nervous. If the gods ever found out that he was the owner of the dreaded key, he would be swiftly - and brutally - killed. Miku along with him. At the thought of his pet human dying, he thought he felt something shift inside him. It wasn't anything physical, but he _felt _something, and he had to choke back a gasp. No. Never. He couldn't possibly allow his Miku to die.

''Miku?'' SeeWoo stared at him, the shock in those blue grey eyes intensifying. It was remarkable, how good that dream eater was at channelling his energy...but then, Len thought back to the faint sympathy he had seen earlier, in Kaito's eyes. He had to wonder how much of this was a pretence, and how much was not. _Are the dream eaters slowly getting their feelings back? Then...why aren't I like them?_

''Yes,'' Len was not fond of repeating himself. He found it unnecessary and troublesome, and it was honestly one of the only few things he could not stand. ''Miku. She's the key, and she's the girl who's capable of bringing the king of the gods down to his knees,'' his eyes narrowed at the floor. ''You would never have thought of Miku being capable of such power, would you?'' he asked. ''For I had not. She's too...fragile.''

SeeWoo remained silent for a while, before he groaned quietly to himself. ''Len,'' he said slowly, making Len's gaze return to him. The dream eater was kneading at his forehead, his fingers clenched tightly into fists - so tightly that his already pale skin had turned the white of falling snow. ''In all the years which I've ever dabbled in black magic, I have never once come across something like this. It's...unnatural.''

Black magic. Len swallowed at the very term - yes, SeeWoo was someone who had once played with forces too strong, too otherworldly for them to comprehend. And as a result of that, the blond dream eater still bore scars. Len knew that, on SeeWoo's back, there was a large black tattoo - a tattoo that had branded itself onto his entire back, the tattoo of a winged snake. The tattoo of a necromancer.

Gods were people of magic. The divine, the powerful, the mystical. And the dream eaters were gods, in their own ways. Now, even amongst magic, there were different types - the usual light magic that most gods used, the magic of Nature and Mother Earth. It was this magic that gods drew upon, to cast their own spells. Magic was something drawn from the environment, and Nature provided magic.

Magic was an energy source, after all. But where there was light, there would be dark. Dark magic was something completely different from the light - dark magic drew on the essence of oneself, but in return, the dark magic was headily potent. It was deadly, but it acted quickly and far more strongly than its light counterpart did. It was a self-destructive energy, one that carved the soul into tiny bits.

However, there was another type of magic, a highly classified branch of dark magic that only certain people had the ability to tap on. This magic was known as _necromancy, _and it was magic that was capable of raising the dead from their graves. Even within the necromancy sect, there were ranges in ability...and SeeWoo had been one of the most powerful. People could not choose to wield this magic at will.

Necromancy chose its wielder, and not the other way round. Necromancy was a dark magic, slithering in the ears of its chosen victims, tempting and seducing them with wicked promises and sinful lies. It promised the world, it promised everything - so long as one was willing to sacrifice their souls, for the sake of experimentation. SeeWoo had been like that, in the past. Curious about forbidden magic.

It had been three hundred and...sixty years ago. SeeWoo had been young, he recalled - less than twenty. Len then was...about two centuries old. But then, the two had once been friends - Len had taken SeeWoo under his wing, showing him the allure of being a nightmare _baku. _The bitter-sweet poison that nightmares fed them, the thrill of fear, the toxin of adrenaline. And SeeWoo had revelled in all of that.

Being a nightmare eater had been as natural to SeeWoo as breathing was. He had quickly amassed power and knowledge, and the skill needed to make use of his innate magic. All _bakus _had magic, after all. The fresh strength of SeeWoo had beckoned to the black magic of necromancy, alerting it to another victim. A strong victim, powerful but young. Gullible, and curious about forbidden spells and magic.

SeeWoo had succumbed to the dark allure of necromancy, a mistake that Len had not made in the early days of his youth. The magic had come to him too, but Len hadn't been interested in it. SeeWoo, however, had allowed the black magic to infect him, rotting him from the inside out. He had started to dabble in mysterious magic that, until now, even the gods themselves were unable to wholly understand.

When the power of necromancy had permeated the blond _baku, _he had learnt of...things. Aged knowledge, a tainted knowledge that was kept locked away from the world. Necromancy was a magic that learnt things, a magic that even the Fates were unable to control. It was a primordial force, one that had no master and was controlled by none. The wielder of this magic was its slave, a puppet it used to act.

The presence of necromantic magic in his body gave SeeWoo the ability to know whatever it was that he wanted to know about, be it past, present or future. For that was the reward of giving oneself up to a primordial power - the ability to know whatever it was that one wished for. Primordial powers were terribly beautiful in that way, for they could grant whatever desire it was that you wished for. For a price.

SeeWoo had, even then, yearned to learn of artefacts that could grant him even more power than he already had, at that moment. So, being a _baku, _the necromantic magic had told him of the future treasure that all of the dream eaters would long to own - the key. A key that granted one the ability to destroy the gods, to allow the _bakus _to finally take their places as the reigning gods. To finally stop being suppressed.

SeeWoo had told Len of that key, what the magic had told him. Len had brushed it aside, not quite willing to trust the magic with what it said - the magic was a sentient being with a mind of its own, and one could never quite trust what necromantic magic was promising. For it had its own agendas to fulfil, and its wielder was little more than a vessel that the magic was using to reach its objectives.

It was only after the disciplinary trio had told Len that the key was real, and not just a mere legend, that Len had recalled...SeeWoo had once known of this key. So no doubt, he would know exactly how to control the key, for the magic would have told him what to do. The magic was now no longer in the blond dream eater, for SeeWoo had realised the extent to which it was corrupting him, and had tried to get rid of it.

It had been a century after SeeWoo had first been inflicted with the curse of necromancy. The power it brought was addictive, but it was self-destructive - this black magic was one that would kill its host, and just move on to another upon the death of its current vessel. SeeWoo had removed himself of the curse - Len had no idea how he had managed to shake off the clinging wisps of magic, but he had done it.

Now, SeeWoo bore scars of that dark period. The time when he had been afflicted with that curse of power...it had been very strange times, then. _''You'll die,'' Len argued, trying to knock some sense into the stubborn idiot. Young moron, thinking that he could do better than what his seniors said. Len was two entire centuries older than this little brat, yet he believed that he knew more than Len did?_

_SeeWoo's blue grey eyes narrowed at him. ''I appreciate what you've done for me, so far,'' he said, voice empty. A dark gleam shone within the eyes of the dream eater, and a sense of malignant power made Len's hackles rise. He didn't trust this necromancy, and what it was influencing SeeWoo to become. SeeWoo was his apprentice, yet now he surpassed Len._

_Of course, that was solely due to the necromantic magic. Len used simple dark magic - he preferred it over the light. Of course, dark magic was self-destructive...but then, being a nightmare eater was something similar, was it not? He siphoned energy, and channelled some of that energy into faking emotions - the other half was used to replenish himself, and all of his lost magic._

_Dark magic drew on one's very own energy source - the soul. Sickening it and making it wither away. Without a constant replenishing of one's energy, dark magic would corrupt and kill. It was a magic that was reserved solely for those who were strong enough, iron willed and powerful. Of course, Len was all of that. SeeWoo was of that calibre, as well._

_But then, he had foolishly opened himself to necromancy...a forbidden magic that Len distrusted. It was powerful, true - after all, it was a primordial magic. How could it not be strong? But it was a sly magic, and it infected the host from inside out. However, SeeWoo hadn't listened to Len, that idiot. If he wanted to kill himself, well, Len wasn't stopping him._

_Now that SeeWoo actually wanted to rid himself of the curse of necromancy...Len wasn't sure why he was trying to stop him, but he knew that the corruptive magic wouldn't give up its vessel without a struggle of titanic proportions. ''I know what to do, and how to get rid of it,'' SeeWoo said, voice calm. ''Leave. And don't enter, no matter what you hear.''_

_He could still remember what it had been like, when SeeWoo had first embraced the dark power that had refused to be torn down. The strength that he had already possessed had increased tremendously - he had been able to raise the dead from their graves. Something that the gods themselves were unable to do. Not that Len approved of that, anyway._

_Necromancy was wrong, a dark magic that preyed on the foolish and gullible. And SeeWoo had been gullible, someone far too curious about things for his own good. Which was probably why the black magic had targeted him, knowing that it had most likely found a willing host, with which it could set its plans into action. Whatever its plans were._

_Now, Len didn't appreciate being ordered around by his own apprentice, but he shrugged and did what SeeWoo wanted, leaving his room. If he wished to force the magic away after accepting it...he would be responsible for his own decisions. Had Len not tried convincing him to deny the magic? His insatiable curiosity didn't allow him to give it up, though._

_This damned curiosity, which was the legacy of the _baku_ curse. The only emotion they were allowed to feel. After leaving the room, Len would never forget what he heard - screaming. It wasn't the scream of a dying man, or even the scream of a frightened child. It was the screaming of a soul being torn apart, being ripped to shreds and dissolving away..._

After that, Len had entered SeeWoo's room once again, to see the dream eater staring blankly at him with bloodshot eyes. He had just been staring...and that was a sight that Len couldn't forget either. The sight of a body without a soul, the sight of someone with no reason left to live. SeeWoo had successfully gotten rid of that darkness which had once filled him, but at what price? Till this day, Len still wasn't sure.

All he could see, the only physical reminder that he had of that time, was the cursed sign of the necromancer on SeeWoo's back. A tattoo that had mysteriously appeared after SeeWoo had expelled the magic from his system. Again, how he had managed to force the magic out, Len would never know - it was something that SeeWoo refused to talk about, and Len was reluctant to press on about the issue.

After that...SeeWoo had never been the same. The dream eater had once been easygoing, friendly but sharp minded. After that incident, SeeWoo had become...lifeless, almost, for a while. After recovering physically from the ordeal, his attitude had changed - he became cold. Cruel and bitter. He had once gotten along perfectly fine with Len - but now, Len was his rival, someone he wanted to outshine.

So Len had allowed him to his wishes, formally dropping their apprentice-master relationship. In all these centuries, they had looked to each other as rivals, both determined to do better than the other. In the few, unfortunate times SeeWoo had ever come across him, he always challenged Len to some kind of game. A game Len was usually less than willing to participate in, for he couldn't foretell who would win.

The only reason why Len had been willing to play with SeeWoo this time, was because SeeWoo had set his sights on Miku. And Len was not going to give up his fresh source of nightmares, not to any other nightmare eater. Judging from SeeWoo's expression, however, Len could safely assume that his...'rival' was not going to try and steal Miku away. Not anymore. It made Len wonder why was that so.

Was it because the key really was that bad to have ownership of? ''You know how to control the key, don't you?'' Len asked, ignoring the way SeeWoo's eyes darkened. ''I need to know, SeeWoo. Put aside whatever petty feud you have with me, for now - if I don't know, I'll have no idea what the hell I'm doing. Something that powerful can't be tampered with as and when I wish, and I know that. You know that too.''

There was a sigh, and the other nightmare eater heaved himself off the bed, standing before Len. They were similar in height, Len noticed. ''Look. The only reason why I'd have any idea what the key is...and how to control it...is solely because I had once played with fire. The same thing that you're going to do now. And when people play with a fire as deadly as this one, they're bound to get burnt, and badly.''

''Wasn't that what I had warned you of, when you wanted to open yourself up to necromantic magic?'' Len retorted, not missing the brief flicker of emotion which crossed the _baku's _face. ''I respected your wishes then, and let you do what you wanted, knowing you could handle yourself. This isn't something I asked for, and the very least I could do is to try and find out the best way to control all of that power.''

_Before I accidentally unleash it on the rest of the world. On our own brethren. _Len wasn't a _baku _who particularly cared for anyone other than himself, but he wasn't truly despicable. Or stupid. He knew that if he ended up unleashing such power on his own kind, or on all the other mortals...in the first case, he would be harshly punished. In the second case, he would have no humans left to prey on. Which would be...bad.

''That's true,'' SeeWoo conceded, voice flat. His gaze flicked away from Len's. ''You can choose to believe what I'm about to tell you, or you can choose not to. After all, it's the black magic speaking, and I don't know how much of it is the truth, and how much is all lies...'' his voice trailed off. ''Even now, remnants of the magic remain in my mind, and it clouds my judgement. Makes everything twisted. I can't tell...''

''Even now?'' Len wasn't surprised to know that the magic still lingered. The proof of that was on SeeWoo's back - and anyway, malignant magic such as this kind could never be fully eradicated. Some traces of it would always remain behind, trying to corrupt and taint the previous host. That was its legacy. ''Does it still tell you to...do things?'' he asked slowly. ''It's the magic that turned you bitter, isn't it?''

''Of course,'' SeeWoo's reply was caustic. ''Do you still wish to ask me more about the dark magic? Or are you here to know more about the key? Either way, my answers can't be trusted. The magic still lingers around, telling me its lies, until I can no longer differentiate the truth from its words,'' he laughed, a short, harsh bark. ''Why else do you think I started treating you as a rival? Because I viewed you as one.''

Len knew what he meant, but he chose not to say any more about that. ''Very well. Then tell me the story of the key. What it's supposed to be able to do, and how I can control it,'' he hesitated. ''And as for the black magic...'' he said slowly, ''I'll try to split the truth from the lies.''


	23. Chapter 23

_**Solitaryloner: **__I just realised that there is a song by Kaito called Monochrome World. I had no idea...but this story has no link with that song. That song actually sounds...okay._

_Well, it's pretty okay other than the fact that the opening sounds like a theme song from some adventure game. But it's not bad._

_And this story. Why is it that the more I write, the further away the end seems to get? This is so annoying. Just finish already, gosh._

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''The thing about the key is that it's an object of great power,'' SeeWoo began his lecture, sitting back down on his bed. His slanted blue grey eyes narrowed a little as he struggled to recall, through the mist of necromantic magic, the information that Len needed to know. ''It's so powerful, even the Fates themselves fear it...''

''Why?'' Len asked, leaning against the wall of the nightmare eater's room. SeeWoo arched an eyebrow at the question, giving Len the impression that he had just said something extremely idiotic. SeeWoo laced his fingers together, propping them under his chin - his slanted blue eyes acquired a sudden...distant look, as though he was sinking into memories that he didn't quite want to remember.

''You speak of an object which has the power to bring the gods down. Naturally, the Fates fear it, for people all fear what is more powerful than they are. We all fear the things we do not understand...well, most people fear,'' SeeWoo's lips tilted up, into an empty smile. ''Not like us. The _bakus _do not feel fear, and perhaps it is because of our lack of fear that the key was born to us. To our kind. To make us stronger.''

''But how can it bring the gods down? Through which manner does the key do that?'' Len hesitated. ''Miku...can she sense the power she carries, then? If she's so strong?'' Len didn't doubt the existence of the key - what he couldn't quite bring himself to believe was that _Miku _was their weapon. The being so lethally strong that even the all-knowing Fates feared it. His mortal siphon...but she was so delicate.

If she was really so strong...then why hadn't he sensed all that power before? While he had been siphoning her emotional energy away from her? Before, he had thought that she was just an unusually vivid dreamer - now, he knew otherwise. It was because she was no simple mortal...she was the key to their freedom. Miku was the one being that the gods would kill to destroy, and...he was the one who owned her.

Oh, the joys of his life. SeeWoo cocked his head, regarding him intently. ''How she can bring the gods down?'' he echoed. ''That, I'm afraid, I cannot tell you. The magic never told me how the key works...all I know is that she can destroy the world as we know it,'' he yawned, tiredness settling over the ash blond _baku _like a heavy blanket. ''I'm not feeling too good,'' he murmured. ''If you're quite done, then...''

''You haven't told me how to tap into her power yet. How to control it,'' Len pointed out, wanting to get annoyed at the nightmare eater. But, since he was unable to feel anything, he couldn't do that. ''That's the main point of why I came to see you, after all...'' he folded his arms across his chest, leaning back against the wall. SeeWoo just blinked back lazily, the avid interest he had shown earlier evidently having dissipated.

''Oh, learn how to control her power? Heh. That's easy,'' SeeWoo stretched out his hand, beckoning Len closer. Len arched an eyebrow, but did as the nightmare eater wanted, coming closer to his bed. SeeWoo then yanked on Len's shirt, bringing Len down to him so that his ear was at SeeWoo's mouth. ''All you need to do...is a few simple things...'' came the soft whisper, so soft that he had to strain his ears to listen.

''What are you saying?'' he withdrew, his eyes widening as he finally understood what SeeWoo had just murmured into his ear. ''You're not...you're not lying, are you?'' he asked, his voice flat and toneless. If he was capable of feeling shock or disgust, he would have showcased those, at that very moment. ''That's inhuman. How can you expect me to do such a thing? I'm not...'' his voice trailed off as he looked away.

SeeWoo sighed. ''I'm not lying to you,'' he smiled a little, a smile which didn't meet his blue grey eyes. ''Lifeblood. It has always been...something very important amongst magical creatures...'' the _baku _let his fingers run down his lower arm, over his exposed skin. Quickly, deftly, he slashed his nails across his arm, letting a thin trail of crimson start trickling down his pale skin. ''Lifeblood is what we need to survive.''

''How does that help? I don't understand,'' Len closed his eyes, trying to follow the discussion. ''I know that our blood is important. I don't see how it can possibly let me control her. I mean, for now, she's mine...she belongs to me, since I sealed that contract with her. It doesn't mean that I can make use of her power - it just proves she belongs to me. That no one else is allowed to take her away. It doesn't mean anything...''

''Ah. You misunderstand. I'm not talking about the common binding we often see,'' SeeWoo's smile turned into something more like a smirk. ''Power binding is something different. Banned, one could say,'' Len stiffened, ''by the good old king up there,'' the next few words were spat out. ''He feared that we would all share power and rise up against him. In fact, the only person I dislike more than you would be our king.''

''How do you even know all this - ah. The magic. I forget,'' Len's voice softened, eyeing the other _baku _thoughtfully. ''Power binding. But...if it's between me and her...it's as bad as the usual bonding anyway, isn't it?'' absently, he reached up to run his fingers through his hair, a nervous habit he had had before he lost his emotions. An annoying habit which he never bothered to get rid of, even after the removal of his feelings.

''True, because of your contract. It's as good as what one normally sees, anyway,'' SeeWoo rose from the bed, walking over to a table in the corner of his room. He fiddled with something there for a moment, and Len stared as he saw a secret compartment slide out from the wall - a tiny black drawer which blended perfectly with the darkness of his room. Carefully, SeeWoo reached into the drawer, taking a box out.

''I'll loan this to you, but I want it back right after you're done,'' almost reverently, SeeWoo gave the box to Len. Len took it, but chose not to open it for the time being - he had a vague sense of what could possibly be inside. ''You don't have a choice,''' his former student told him gravely. ''It's not a matter of how willing you are to do something alien to your nature. It's a matter of how much control you want.''

''Control...'' Len glanced down at the simple red velvet box. ''You should know all about that, I suppose,'' he added, his fingers curling around the box. ''Control and power. Two things you've always sought from everyone and everything. As if dominating the world, and seeing all its inhabitants bowing down towards you, wasn't the one thing you've always wanted. That's how you know what's needed for the ritual, no?''

''Of course,'' his smile became self-satisfied. ''Tell me everything about how it goes!'' he added slyly. ''It's said that the sensations vary from person to person, and I would like to know how it felt for my old mentor,'' he tilted his head, his eyes narrowing slightly. ''But do remember, if you want a pure power bond...then you must not give in to temptation. Don't turn it into a more common kind of bond.''

Len, who was on his way out of SeeWoo's room, stopped in his tracks, his grip tightening around the velvet box. ''Don't worry,'' he finally said, after a pause. ''I'm not going to forget myself, or what I'm supposed to be doing.'' _As if I would ever do something like that. Temptation...it's not something I've never encountered. It's difficult to tempt an unemotional creature...so why is SeeWoo warning me about that?_

The nightmare eater's blue grey eyes glinted with a knowing light. ''Oh, if you say so, then,'' he yawned. ''Good luck, Len,'' SeeWoo added, almost uncaring. ''You're going to need it.''

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In the world of magic and gods, there were three types of rituals. _Power Binding, Mate Binding _and _Soul Binding. _The very first, Power, was something largely forbidden in their world. Forbidden by the king of the gods himself.

Mate Binding was what mortals would know as marriage, but it was different from what most humans would do. Very different. In fact, many people would find their mating ritual rather...disgusting. But for creatures like the gods, the _bakus, _any other magical being which inhabited the world, mating was something seriously taken and final. Once two people were mated, they could never leave each other. Not ever.

Soul binding was...sacred. As implied by the name, this ritual bound two souls together. In life, in death, in everything, they would always be together...soul binding could only take place during the mating ritual, and it was up to the two participants whether or not they wanted to bind their souls together. If they decided to do that, then the bound couple would live and die together. When one died, the other followed.

_When you carry out any of the three rituals, it's difficult...to resist the allure of carrying out the other two..._SeeWoo remained still on his bed, staring up at the ceiling of his bedroom. He wondered whether Len knew of that - but he doubted so, since his mentor had never shown any particular interest in any of the old rituals. _Why should I know about them? I function alone. I don't ever need someone with me._

Well, now Len would be eating his words. _You think you don't need someone with you, huh? _SeeWoo played around with the dice he had, in the pockets of his jeans. The white dice stood out in the darkness of his room. _But it's just not possible for someone, anyone, to remain solitary forever. We're all social creatures - we can't possibly seal ourselves away from contact for the rest of our immortal lives. Can we?_

He tossed the dice, catching them in his hand. He got a total of twelve - on their faces, both showed a six. ''Don't succumb to the temptation that comes with rituals,'' he murmured. ''I doubt he will listen to me. And when he makes his foolish mistake, I'll be here to laugh at him. He can't say that I never tried to warn him. No matter how badly the necromantic magic warps me, I can't forget he was once my mentor...''

_The box I gave him. It's only necessary for the power ritual. But it's dreadfully important. If he doesn't use it...if he uses something else...heh. No, I think he'll use it. What matters is what happens right after he uses it. How will he react? _SeeWoo couldn't help chuckling at the thought. _Oh, my. We're in a mess here, aren't we now. _Perhaps Len wouldn't ruin everything. Maybe he would. SeeWoo shrugged slightly.

Either way, there would be a marvellous show to watch. And SeeWoo would be enjoying every single second of it, right up till the very end.

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''Is it me, or has Miku suddenly disappeared?'' Luka asked a confused-looking Lenka. ''Len and SeeWoo weren't in school today either...''

''I'm pretty sure I saw Miku in class and all this morning,'' Lenka scratched at her head, her pretty blue eyes narrowing in thought. ''And she's not the kind of person to just skip school. In fact, I don't think she's missed a single day of school in her entire life,'' the blonde shifted around uneasily in her seat. All of Miku's friends were gathered together here, discussing the mysterious disappearance of the tealette.

Luka, who was Miku's best friend, was working herself up into hysterics. ''She's not picking up her phone! And she hasn't replied any of my messages! She said she was going to the toilet during break - now, school's already over and she's just...gone. The teachers kind of noticed her absence too, but none of us know where she is. I went to her house, and she isn't there either,'' Luka folded her arms nervously.

''Luka, calm down,'' Gakupo tried to console her, patting her back comfortingly. Luka had always had a crush on Gakupo, though the idiot never seemed to realise that. ''Maybe...maybe she needed some alone time somewhere, away from everyone. And her phone is out of battery so she didn't notice any of your messages?'' they were all in a little cafe, talking about their missing friend. Luka sniffled, considering.

She took a sip from her vanilla latte, then decided that her crush actually made some sense. ''Perhaps -'' the bell over the cafe door jingled, announcing a new customer, and all of them turned around to look at the entrance. There stood a rather familiar-looking blond, his hand running languidly through his hair as he yawned, scanning the cafe with his intent gaze. ''Isn't that Len?'' Luka gaped, completely forgetting about her earlier train of thought.

_I wonder why he didn't come to school today. He knows Miku, doesn't he? Maybe he knows where she is now? _The others evidently came to the same conclusion as she did. ''Len!'' Piko shouted, waving frantically at the blond. Len's head whipped around, his dark blue eyes narrowing at them. Then he smiled, heading over to them as he brushed off the staring waitress. The waitress looked disappointed.

''Hey,'' he drawled, grinning at them still. The poor waitress, who had wanted to show him to a table when he first entered the cafe, was still staring at him, a dreamy look on her face. ''Why are you all here?'' he added, faint confusion flickering through his dark eyes. ''Oh yeah, you're all Miku's friends or something like that, right?'' Luka frowned, a little confused - didn't Len know that already? He knew Miku...

''Miku has disappeared,'' Lenka chirped, staring unabashedly at the handsome boy. ''And we were wondering where she went, that's all. We couldn't find her anywhere...ever since break she's been missing, and we're worried about her. You didn't come to school today, right?'' she asked, her blue eyes brightening. ''Do you know where Miku went? Like...did she skip school for you or something like that?'' Lenka gushed.

Len blinked. ''Um. No...'' he tugged absently on his blond ponytail. ''Actually, she was a little ill, so she left during break. She's not at home because her brother came back to visit her, and they're out together. Apparently, Mikuo's visit was an unexpected surprise,'' Len beamed, and Luka heard Lenka try to suppress a squeal. ''And her phone ran out of battery! She figured that you guys might be worried, so...here I am.''

''Did she ask you to pass a message to us?'' Luka asked curiously. ''But how did you even know that we were here? And how did you find out about all of this? Why didn't you just send us a message?'' she noticed that Len was starting to look a little uncomfortable, and abruptly she shut her mouth - she realised she sounded like she was interrogating him. It wasn't what she had intended to do. Interrogate him. No, no.

''Well, I dropped by her house this afternoon since I skipped school, and she told me she was ill and stuff,'' he drawled, apparently not caring about the school rules. ''And Mikuo came after that. Then they left. She asked me to tell you all that, so I decided to just wander around until I found one of you guys. Since this town isn't what you can call big,'' Len shrugged. ''And I lost my phone,'' he added, his stare piercing Luka.

Luka fidgeted, beginning to feel uncomfortable. Len's gaze wasn't accusing or anything like that, but his stare still made her feel like she had done something very, very wrong. ''Oh, okay,'' she said, her voice small. ''Then I guess there's no need for us to worry about Miku anymore now, right?'' she glanced around at the rest of the table, and all of them just shrugged back at her, apparently agreeing with her words.

''Do you want to sit with us, Len?'' Gakupo offered politely, breaking the tense silence between them. Len looked up from the table, his blue gaze startled, before he slowly shook his head. Luka didn't know whether or not she was happy that the blond boy said no. She didn't particularly like or dislike him - though she had to admit that he was flawlessly handsome - she just...felt there was something off about him.

''I'm busy, so...I'd rather not,'' he said, at the questioning look on their faces. He hesitated a little. ''Anyway, I'd better leave now. I've said my piece, and I have other things to do...I'll see you all next time,'' with a little wave, Len turned away from their table, sauntering away. The waitress was still staring after him, and Luka pitied the poor girl a little. It was so plainly obvious that Len wasn't interested in her...

''See, Luka? You didn't need to worry at all,'' Lenka said as soon as Len was out of the cafe, sipping at her banana milkshake as she did so. Piko nodded, agreeing with Lenka. Luka stared down at the table, knowing that what the blonde just said was true - still. She couldn't shake off a nagging little doubt that what Len had said...it just seemed a little suspicious. Len himself was suspicious. But she didn't know...

Why did she feel this way about the blond boy? It was just that his behaviour seemed a little stiff today - everyone knew he was a playboy, and usually he would be all over the eager waitress - but that didn't mean that he was really any different. ''I guess that's true,'' she finally sighed and slumped back into her seat. ''Still, why did Mikuo take his sister out if she's really feeling ill?'' Luka asked thoughtfully.

''Len did say that Miku was only a little ill,'' Piko cocked his head. ''Stop worrying about it, Luka,'' the silver haired boy smiled. ''She's with Mikuo now, so nothing bad will happen to her. Miku's big brother won't ever let her get hurt. I mean, we all know how protective he is of her,'' as he spoke, Piko dug into his ice cream sundae. Luka nodded slowly - _that's right. I shouldn't be worrying. Len said she's fine, after all._

She decided to push the worry out of her mind, and just enjoy her vanilla latte with her friends - yet, she couldn't seem to shove her suspicion about Len out of her mind. _He doesn't seem quite like himself today...I wonder why?_

Meanwhile, Len was walking down the street, in the direction of Miku's house. The moment he saw an alley nearby, he ducked into it, looking around carefully to ensure that there was no one else watching him. Once he was sure that he was unnoticed by everyone, he let out an irritated sigh, reaching up to slide his silk ribbon out of his hair. His blond hair fell around his face, brushing against his shoulders.

Len then closed his eyes, muttering something underneath his breath - a moment later, he looked down at himself. He was no longer dressed in his shirt and jeans - instead, he was in a white dress, made of silk and trimmed with gold. ''You owe me a huge favour, Len,'' Rin Kagamine muttered, studying her fingernails critically. ''Forcing me to dress up as you, and to lie about her...I wonder if they found me out?''

That pink haired girl had been a little suspicious of her, Rin knew. Should she worry about that? In the end, she just shrugged - _it's not my responsibility. I've done my part as a sister, after all. _She snapped her fingers, instantly moving back to the dream dimension so that she could rest a little. Idly, she slumped down onto her bed, gazing up at the ceiling. ''It feels good, to be back as myself. And not as Len.''

_I wonder why Len asked me to dress up as him, and lie to that girl's friends, though...what's so special about that mortal girl? _Rin twirled a few strands of her blond hair around her finger, thinking over the whole thing. _So special that he had to go and kidnap her from her school?_


	24. Chapter 24

Miku groaned, letting her eyes flutter open. Her head was spinning, and she was actually feeling a little nauseous. What had just happened?

Finally, her eyes fully opened, narrowing a little as the soft glow of a light shone onto her face. She turned her head, wincing as she did so - her neck was a little stiff - and regarded the room she was in. She didn't recognise the room at all, and that worried her. Where was she?

The last thing she remembered was going to the toilet...after that, her world had faded away, and she had sunk into darkness. _I...I think I fell asleep. But in the middle of the day? In the middle of the hallway? There's something wrong here..._she tried to move her arms. To her horror, she was stuck. Try as she might, Miku couldn't force herself to move at all, not even the slightest inch. She swallowed.

Magic. There was magic at work here. She was lying prone on a flat surface, and the only thing she could move at all was her head. She looked down - she appeared to be lying on a bed. The thought of that made her feel...frightened. A bed? What was going to happen to her? The old memories of her uncle, of everything he had ever done to her, surfaced in her mind - she just wanted to curl up into a little ball and hide.

There was the sound of a door opening. Miku's breath caught, her heart racing in fear. Again, she tried to jerk her arms and legs, trying to make them move so she could get off this bed, but to no avail. Her lips parted, but no sound came out, and that just made the fear worse. If she really was...violated, or anything like that, the only thing she would be able to do was to watch. She couldn't even scream for help.

Footsteps. The person was coming, approaching her, and she could hear the soft thud of their walking even through the hammering of her heart. She wondered what manner of twisted person had done this to her, and what they were going to do. Why her, of all people? Was it because she had made a deal with Len, because she had connections with magical creatures?

The person finally stopped walking. He loomed over her, and as familiarly impassive features came into focus, a tiny shred of hope and relief crept inside her heart. _Len, _she thought, she tried her hardest to say. No sound came out past her lips, but she knew that he had seen the recognition which flickered through her eyes. His normally smooth forehead creased a little, as though he was frowning. She couldn't be sure.

''This...'' Len cleared his throat, glancing away from her, ''will only hurt a little bit,'' he said quietly. Her eyes widened - what was he going to do? Shock filled her as she saw Len holding on to a black blade...a wickedly sharp dagger with a blade made out of some pure, black stone. _Sacrifice, _was the first thing that went through her mind. The first word that could link this whole entire, bizarre situation together.

She tried to say something. Ask him why. She tried to protest - why did he want to hurt her? What had she done wrong? But she couldn't say anything at all. Her voice refused to come out, refused to make itself known - terror filled her as Len knelt next to her, bringing the knife to her chest. Her breath hitched in her throat. Was she going to die here? Was Len going to kill her? She met the nightmare eater's dark gaze.

He returned her stare. Her fear heightened her awareness of everything around her - she could hear every single breath, see every single tiny movement the blond boy made. And she saw him hesitate - she couldn't be certain, it might have just been a trick of the light...but his hand seemed to be trembling a little, as he held the knife over her body. Then he glanced away.

''Should I apologise?'' he murmured, sounding like he was talking to himself. ''You have no idea...what danger you pose. You're so strong that keeping you around is a liability in itself. The fact that I've bonded someone so powerful to myself...I don't know how to feel about it. I can't feel. But...logically, I know it was stupid. I know I ought to be terrified now. But I'm not.''

_Len? _She was frightened, but his voice...it was soothing, in a way. Like a lullaby. Lulling her to sleep, as always. She could feel her eyelids beginning to droop, as Len continued mumbling to himself. ''Why is it that I want your touch? I can't feel, can I? When I'm not around you, the only emotion I experience is curiosity. But when you're with me...the lust comes,'' he laughed. ''Maybe even more than that. I don't know.''

He glanced back at her. ''Maybe you'll reply if you were able to talk,'' he said softly. ''But I can't...I don't want to let you speak, Miku. What I'm going to do...'' he sighed. ''I lied. This will hurt. It'll hurt a lot. Call me selfish, but I didn't want to hear your screams of anguish. I don't know, maybe it's because I'm a jerk, maybe it's because I don't want to hear you suffering, but...'' he put the knife down, next to her.

Miku was still scared. She was so frightened that this was the only thing preventing her from drifting into her dreams. Her fear. ''I really don't want to hurt you,'' he whispered, his fingers brushing lightly against her cheek. She couldn't flinch away - she could only remain there, still and unmoving, watching him watch her. ''I don't want to do anything which would make you suffer. Please understand...I have no choice.''

_No. There's always a choice. We always have a choice, Len! _She couldn't say a single thing. He rose up, sitting next to her on the bed. His hand brushed against her teal hair, like he was trying to reassure her. The same way a master would try to comfort his pet. Was that truly all she was to him? An obedient pet, a toy, someone who entertained him whenever he was bored?

Sometimes, she thought that the nightmare eater might have...feelings for her. Feelings, despite the curse on his head. It was just...the way he held her, the way he talked to her, the way he looked at her...the way he seemed to care. Sometimes, the blond haired _baku _actually seemed to care about whether she lived or died. She knew she wasn't deluding herself.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, adjusting her so that her head leant against his chest. ''It's not your fault that you were born as the key,'' came the low mutter - she felt him leaning his chin against the top of her head, his other arm looping around her waist. It was a strangely protective hold, and she wondered why he was willing to touch her this way. It wasn't a teasing touch. It was...what was it?

This hold was so gentle and affectionate, and she wasn't used to that. Especially not from Len. Usually, when he touched her...they were brief, fleeting touches, meant to tease and tempt. Meant to showcase the hold he had over her. He didn't protect her. The only bond they had was that...he took away her nightmares. And, as payment, she owed him a favour of his choice.

She still had no idea what he wanted from her, actually. Len was taking a very long time to think about what he wanted. Not that she had anything particularly special to give him, anyway...''If you weren't the key, this would never have happened. You would be safe and content, happy in your own ignorance. They say that ignorance is bliss, after all. But no...the three Fates just had to torture you this way.''

_Why does he keep calling me a key? What does that mean? Is it...is this strange key something significant? _The _baku_ seemed to think about something for a while - he paused, turning quiet and thoughtful. Finally, he sighed again, his grip on her tightening a little. Almost imperceptibly. ''It's better this way,'' he murmured. ''You won't feel anything, then...go to sleep, Miku,'' he said soothingly, his voice layered with magic.

She didn't want to obey, but the spell he was weaving over her lulled her, beckoning to her, making her succumb to the sudden allure of sleep and dreams. Len stared at the tealette, not quite sure of how he was feeling. Not that he could feel, really...even around her. This was a mere shadow of what he had once possessed. When she was around, he had the faintest illusion...that his emotions were within reach.

It was just an illusion, though, and he knew that. He glanced at the black blade next to him - a sacrificial dagger, known as an _athame. _It was important for power rituals such as this. A ritual so old that he almost couldn't recall how to carry it out. _Pain. Suffering. Power. They're all linked together, in a way...without having to work, without suffering in one way or another, it's impossible to find true power._

The girl was asleep. The strongest weapon in the world was here, in his arms, at his mercy. He wondered if this was the right thing to do. The disciplinary trio were not fond of him, as it was. If he did this ritual, he would be going against the king of the gods - the trio did not like the king, but they would be obligated to hunt Len down. To destroy him, for daring to defy their king. Len's fingers tightened around the hilt of the black _athame, _considering.

He had no choice. There was never any choice, to begin with. From the very moment he made that deal with this slender, ignorant tealette, he had sealed his fate, and he could not avoid it. He held the blade up - the evilly beautiful _athame_ glinted in the dim lights of the room. His room. _Sacrifice, _his thoughts whispered. _A blood offering, in exchange for what you seek..._

''I don't want to hurt you,'' he murmured again, though he knew that this time, Miku was not able to hear him. ''You're different. You're not the same as all the others. You're...special. I didn't want to hurt you - I was selfish. I wanted to own you, because you were good for me, because you were unique, because I knew you were mine. But no matter how selfish I was, it was never in my intentions to make you hurt.''

He leant forward, his fringe falling over his eyes, his lips hovering over her forehead. He wondered if she could feel him, in her dreams. Feel how close he was to her. Did he frighten her? Did he like the thought of making her unhappy? He was a nightmare eater, someone who revelled in fear and adrenaline - but she wasn't like other victims. Not just because she was the key. Not just because her dreams were the most vivid ones he had ever encountered.

No, the reason why she was different...was simply because she was Miku. There wasn't any other cause, nothing to differentiate her from the rest, not to him. He never wanted to own such an artefact. He had seen other vivid little dreamers before, though he admitted that it was rare to find one as expressive as this girl. It was just because she was...doll-like, because she was fragile, because she seemed like a single puff of wind could shatter her to pieces.

He didn't want to make her suffer, because she was Miku. That was all there was to it. She was his pet. But what else did she mean to him? Did he love her? Len wasn't sure. He didn't know what love was - he never had experienced that emotion before, even while he was on the run from the gods - but he knew that he felt this way about no one else. No one but her.

He kissed her forehead lightly, smoothing her teal bangs away from her eyes. She was sleeping so peacefully, all possible signs of fear having been wiped away from her face. He was so hesitant about this. It was confusing, and that confused him. He was a _baku. _Why should he hesitate? How could he feel confused? Was the curse weakening...or was it her? Miku?

''If you can hear me, Miku,'' he slid his fingers down one side of her face, feeling smooth skin against his fingertips, ''then I'm genuinely sorry. You're so _different _from the rest. You changed me. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? You made me someone...new. Someone who can remember what it's like to feel. To experience different things. It started with your dreams. And it slowly spread to my being itself...''

He edged away from her, letting the slumbering girl fall back onto the bed. Her body was soft and pliant. Relaxed. That was good - it would be harder to do this if she was tensed. Harder to drive the blade in. Sleep was good. It was always good, to have one's head buried in the sand...to sleep, to avoid all the bad things that happened in reality. Sleep was a good thing. Eternal sleep...would that be the best, then?

Len realised that his grip on the _athame_ had shifted. He was holding it by the blade now, instead of by the hilt, and he was holding it tightly. He drew his hand away from the sharp blade - there was a thin line across his palm now, a line that wept tears of red. He stared at the crimson trickle, his gaze unfeeling, uncaring. Blood was nothing. It hurt him, but pain didn't matter, either. None of this was important.

The only thing that mattered was that he was going to harm this girl, and that hurt him too. It hurt more than this deep cut did. He didn't understand why, though. _What is pain? What is love? I can't pretend to understand any of this. I can feel pain, but pain isn't an emotion. I can't feel love, but do I love this girl? _He slid his finger against the edge of the black blade.

Another drop of crimson blood dripped off the tip of his finger. He stared unfeelingly at it, his gaze as dispassionate as it always was. _I should really start the ritual now. _Uncertainly, he began to chant, struggling to bring back the old memories from their chasm. He hadn't thought of the old rituals for so long...he could barely recall the words to speak now. The first ever language, in the ancient tongue of the gods.

_I, who would call forth the power of the first gods, speaks unto Power and Power itself. Chaos is brought forth from the chasm of the forgotten, heed my desires you shall. _The ritualistic words, spoken in a tongue he could barely remember, twined around him, almost caressing him in their tight embrace. The words were like liquid, flowing from his lips, sly and forbidden. Like a serpent, cunning, tempting...

The blade was glowing now. A familiar rune was glowing on the blade - the rune of Power. There were many runes in the world, but their usage was largely forbidden. Runes belonged to a time...before the gods, even. Runes were an old primordial power, born of Chaos itself, in league with dark necromantic magic. Wherever necromancy went, runes would follow.

This, too, was one reason why Power rituals were banned. Because this ritual called forth the rune of Power, the most unpredictable rune next to the rune of Death. _I seek to bind this soul to me, a soul in Power and blood, and Chaos and Power shall weave all of my desires, tainting and corrupting her heart. _The rune of Power which glowed on the _athame _was burning white-hot now. He could feel the heat it was emitting.

Nothing had changed in the room itself, but the dark, malignant magic he could feel prickled at him, making him feel tensed. On edge. Runes were dark magic...not as bad as necromantic magic, but still something far past his usual boundaries. He gritted his teeth - Miku was still sleeping on his bed, blissfully unaware of everything which was going on around her.

He was going to destroy that peace soon. _I am Len Kagamine, and with a sacrifice from my heart, I bind Miku Hatsune to me. Her power will be mine, mine to command, and even in Death her power lingers through our bond. _He didn't look forward to this part. Len slashed the burning blade across his palm, wincing just a little as the previous cut widened, gushing forth a river of crimson. Blood stained the blade.

The rune of Power glowing on the blade twisted around, forming a design which he knew was unique to him. The white light the rune was glowing with suddenly turned dark red, and he knew that the blade, the rune, had accepted his blood offering. He closed his eyes, his bloodied hand finding Miku's shirt - swiftly, he tugged the shirt up, exposing her pale, flat stomach.

Then, trying to avoid looking at the unconscious girl, he pressed the burning _athame_ against her skin. The moment the black blade made contact with her stomach, her closed eyes flicked open, her lips parting in a soundless scream. He knew she wanted to scream - he knew that this was going to hurt. That was why he had prevented her from speaking. From making any sound.

Because he was selfish, because he didn't want to hear the sound of her anguish and suffering. Her green eyes met his own gaze, and they were filled with pain and confusion and hurt - it was the last emotion which made him pause. She seemed like she was trying to ask him a question, with the betrayal in her gaze. _Why are you doing this to me? _Even if he couldn't hear her verbally, he could read her vivid eyes...

He looked away, avoiding her gaze. Instead, he stared at her stomach. The blood-red rune was sliding off the blade, slowly but surely, and it was imprinting itself on her stomach. As he watched, the red rune extended itself, idly stretching over that expanse of creamy skin - like a cat stretching, almost. Then, the rune seemed to pause...before it quickly stabbed downwards into her stomach, settling itself.

Even through the spell he had cast over her, the spell preventing her from moving anything but her head, she jerked. And he knew that it had to hurt her. Her head whipped around, her teal hair flying, and against his will, he looked at her - there were tears in her eyes, running slowly down her face, making him feel...what was that word? What was it that he felt now?

Guilt? He didn't know. But it seemed like guilt. It made no sense why he felt guilty. This was for the good of the _bakus, _in general. It was for the good of their kind, the greater good. So why did he feel this way? Because he was selfish? When it came to Miku, he thought of little other than himself. Other than how he would feel about her. _Will I feel bad if I treat her this way? Would I feel bad if she gets taken by someone else?_

All those were the kind of thoughts that ran through his head, when he thought about her. He rarely thought of _her, _of how she would feel, of how she would think, because he never before had a reason to care. Was that why he was guilty? Because he never cared about her? But not wanting to make her suffer...it was a form of caring, in its own way. Wasn't it?

He thought that putting her to sleep would make the pain lessen. That she wouldn't be able to feel what was going on, if she was lost in her dreams. Because sleep was a healer, wasn't it? Maybe the pain was too much for even sleep to overcome. He could only stand there, watching the tears running down her cheeks, trying to understand what he was feeling right then.

Because in this case, he was useless. He could do nothing to soothe her. Her eyes closed - no, she didn't merely close them. She squeezed them shut, as though doing that could help to stave the pain off, somehow. And, when he saw her do that, something in his chest twisted. It wasn't his heart. It was something else, he felt. But he didn't know what that something was.

Again, almost against his will, he walked over to her, his hand searching for hers. He found it, and he held on to her hand, so tightly that he thought he might be crushing her. Len leant over her, his blond hair falling over his eyes, hiding his gaze from her. ''I'm sorry,'' he whispered, his fingers intertwined with hers. ''I'm so sorry about this, Miku. You don't know how sorry I am.''

_I don't have a choice. I never had a choice, Miku. _He blinked, feeling something wet sliding down his face - a single tear fell on Miku's cheek, quickly mingling with the wetness on her face. So quickly that he could almost pretend that such a thing had never taken place.

But he couldn't lie to himself. He was crying. He didn't know why he was crying. Why? He was emotionless. He couldn't feel, and if he couldn't feel, why did he cry? More tears followed the first, falling on her cheeks, making her glance up at him. He had to force himself to meet her gaze - he almost averted his eyes, he was so confused about her. Slowly, he lifted her still hand to his lips, keeping her hand there.

''I'm so sorry...'' was all he said, closing his eyes as he nuzzled against her hand. ''So sorry.''

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_**Solitaryloner: **__This chapter is filled with confused Len. And confused me. Frankly, this didn't quite turn out the way I planned it. I apologise if this chapter was very...confusing._

_Okay, I'm not going to say that 'this sucks' or whatever, like I've been saying for my past few updates. I was really depressed recently, you know - tomorrow, I'm getting back really major exam results. You know, results that will determine my future and all that stuff. So I'm kind of panicking right now and everything._

_Hope everyone enjoyed this update. And good luck to myself, I guess. I'm terrified, but...being scared won't help. So I'll just stay calm now._


	25. Chapter 25

Things always happened for a reason. Everything did – it was a fact of life, something unavoidable and inescapable. Once, Len felt that he always knew his reason, his reasons to be, his reasons to exist – but now, things had changed. And he didn't know what to do.

Why was he crying? He couldn't stop the tears from sliding down his face, slow droplets of crystal landing softly on her teal hair. She was still staring at him…was that amazement he saw on her face? Something like disbelief, perhaps – _But I always thought you had no emotions; I thought you were unemotional, that you didn't know what sadness was. So why are you crying? _How was he supposed to know how to answer such a heartfelt question?

What was sadness? What was pain? If he knew what those words were – what they meant – would he be able to feel again? He turned his cheek into her palm, waiting for the rune to finish its work. Her eyelids were lowering, as he watched her, as the rune firmly branded itself upon her skin. The design – a serrated spiral, a jagged twist – a rune which seemed to shine with an evil red light, malicious and wanting, making him wish he had never done such a thing to hurt her. And all of a sudden, the red light faded, turning back to jet black.

Her eyes closed the same moment the red glow faded. Was she asleep? Had the pain been too much – too much for her to bear? He knew such a thing was possible...after all, sleep was a natural healer, the best healer, and when the physical body had suffered pain beyond what it could handle, it was a natural reaction to shut everything off, and just go to sleep…

He wondered if she was dreaming. He wondered what she was dreaming about. He wondered whether he still had the right to interfere – after doing such a thing to her…would she be willing to let him in? Would she accept him, would she resist his presence…_would she hate me? _He found that the idea of the latter strangely…affected him. Again, he couldn't say that he felt anything about the thought – he just…felt something. A tiny flicker, something there but _not quite, _a teasing hint of what might be possible, rousing itself within his mind…

He pushed the flicker aside. It was not important, and he only cared about things which he considered important to him. She was important – _for she is a food source, after all – _and he would have to make sure that she hadn't subconsciously blocked him out. The power of the human mind was an amazing thing, he had to admit that. He had brought her pain, and she might have willed him out of her dreams so it would be impossible for him to do that again. He could not say he wasn't sorry for hurting her…but he wasn't supposed to care.

_So why do I care? It's not like I have feelings to care with – it's not like she's anything other than a source of emotions! So why do I…feel this way? Why do I even feel?_

For, in the end, wasn't he no more than a _baku_? Incapable of feeling, incapable of regret, incapable of saying that he was sorry; yet, he had apologised to her, he had _regretted _causing her harm the way he did just now. Even though it was a necessity, even though he knew that what he was doing was for the sake of everyone. A faint, practised scowl flitted across his face – he was not going to let himself feel confused about this. He was a _baku. _He was feared and respected by most of his brethren, and he would not allow a human girl to confuse him.

First things first – he ought to make sure that the Power ritual hadn't affected his access to her emotions and dreams in any way whatsoever. Everything else wasn't important…even if he was bonded to the most powerful weapon in the world, even if he now had enormous responsibilities he wished he could run away from, his foremost priority was still himself. Not the fate of the world, or of those who resided within it – he was the most important.

And, naturally, after such a draining ritual, he was quite hungry…starving might be a more apt way to put it. Reaching up, he idly wiped the tears off his face, staring curiously at the transparent liquid staining his fingertips. Slowly, he raised his fingers to his lips, his tongue flicking out – the liquid tasted salty. He was surprised by that. He always thought that tears would taste…tasteless. After all, a tear was nothing more than a drop of water. But the salty tang of his tears dissolved on his tongue, making him cringe – it didn't taste bad, it didn't taste good…it was just strange. For he had never cried before, not before this, and he didn't expect tears to have any sort of flavour. He hadn't expected them to be so…familiar.

He had never tasted tears before, had never even cried before – he was certain of that, for he was a _baku, _and _bakus _had extremely good memories. Yet, these tears, this liquid…why did it call out to him, making him feel like he was saying hello to a familiar stranger? His fingers clenched slowly into fists, and he looked away from the wetness glimmering on his skin. No. he didn't want to think about this – he shouldn't _have _to think about this, it wasn't important or beneficial in any way – and he really ought to get back to the task at hand.

Almost lazily, he waved his hand, lifting the binding spell from her body – instantly, she relaxed from her tensed position, collapsing back onto the mattress. Her face was blank, perfectly expressionless – it was not the look of a sleeper having a nightmare, nor was it the look of someone experiencing a sweet dream. To be honest, that blankness made him curious, and a little…unnerved, almost – it seemed so much like a bad omen to him, somehow. He was not particularly prone to relying on omens and signs; to him, divination and fortune-telling were unreliable arts. However, he couldn't deny that when he looked upon the deceptive neutrality present on Miku's face, a shiver of foreboding ran down his spine.

In a rare moment of weakness, he adjusted the slumbering girl – carefully, he slid the pillow beneath her head, pulling the blanket over her petite body, moving her so that she slept in her favourite position – resting on her side. After a moment of hesitation, he slid in next to her – it was _his _bed, after all – and lay there, wondering if she would wake up. She didn't, and after a while, he let out a sigh. "Sleep is the best healer," he whispered. "Be it for physical injury, or mental…people say that Time is the most effective at remedying hurt, but if that was the case, why would I still feel pain? For immortals, even for halflings like you, time is nothing but a luxury – only sleep ever helps in anything. That is why we, as _bakus, _are necessary."

She didn't respond to his words, nor did he expect her to. Slowly, carefully, he reached out, letting his arms wrap around her waist. She didn't respond in any way to that, and he exhaled, a breath of air he didn't even know he had been holding. He leant in closer to her, feeling the warmth of her body next to his – _she is so warm, are all humans so warm? –_ before he closed his eyes, leaning his head against her shoulder. It had been a while since he last let himself go to sleep, to proper sleep, to slumber in the darkness where anything might happen, where any nightmare had the power to come into being and govern one's most primal thoughts…

The region where he revelled, the realm of the nightmare…but he wasn't here to torture or feast, not this time. He was just going to check up on her – he was in his room, he might as well get some rest while he was at it – and he didn't want to drain her after something like that. He would entertain himself in her dreams, but he wasn't going to siphon anything away. For once, he would think of someone other than herself, for the damned emotion that had reared its head earlier – _is it guilt? I still don't know what it was – _didn't allow him to do anything else which might cause her harm. Since, in the end, she was his, and he never hurt whatever belonged to him. He was possessive enough to not damage his belongings.

_I'm just checking up on her. Not feasting, not anything else – just checking. Don't lose your hold over yourself, Len. You can control your base needs better than that, can't you?_

Because he feared he wouldn't be able to control himself – her emotions were always such a heady cocktail to him, always so difficult to resist. No matter how much he took away from her, it left him hungering for more, _craving _for more – like Eve with the apple, like Man with his temptation, like how everything found a way to fall. To fall was natural, to struggle was not – yet, if he didn't struggle, he would weaken her, and that wouldn't be beneficial to either him or Miku. His eyes closed – he was arguing with himself, he realised blatantly, and that was never a good sign. He was tired. He had to rest, he had to remove himself from the unwelcome realm of consciousness, and sink blissfully into the sweet dreams of others…

For he was a nightmare eater, and the only place he ever felt he was home at was in the tortured nightmares of sleepers. Nightmares were sweet dreams to him – nightmares were his friends, his sole solace, a soothing balm, a reality where his world was crumbling to pieces.

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><p>Miku was stuck. She couldn't move forward, she couldn't move backward, she couldn't move out of this place. She hated it – she wanted to get out of here. Her eyes, wild and frightened, roved the area, searching for something – anything – anything to tell her that she wasn't the only one here, in this empty space. There was nothing but blackness, nothing but grey, nothing but white…nothing but a monochrome world, where she was the only splash of colour. She was a tiny, pathetic spot of teal, almost obscured by the emptiness around her.<p>

_What am I doing here? Why am I here? …I want to wake up, please let me wake up from this. It's not a dream, it's not a nightmare…it's nothing at all, it's just absolute oblivion._

_I'm scared. _It wasn't a bad dream, but she was frightened. She didn't know what to expect – she couldn't seem to wake up, and she was the only person here. The last thing she recalled, before being whisked away to this place, was Len's tears falling into her hair. It startled her that the nightmare eater would cry, especially when it came to her – for he made it no secret that he hardly cared about her, that the only thing which mattered to him was her vivid dreams. She was food to him. Important, a necessity, but something he didn't have to care about. Not the way someone would care about another person – he _couldn't _care.

It was cold in her dream, so cold. She shivered, wondering if there was a physical exit here, wondering if it was possible for her to run away from the dream – wondering if she would be able to wake up if she somehow managed to find a door. She took a step forward. The white mist swirled around her feet, preventing her from glimpsing the floor – it frightened her, for she knew not where she was going, and she knew that if she were to step over a boundary of some sort, she wouldn't know until she fell forward, plummeting all the way down…

Her steps were slow for this precise reason. She was scared, nervous – she was frightened that she would die in this hostile, unfamiliar place. If she were to die in her dreams, what would happen in real life? Would she die there as well? Or would she just shoot awake, gasping, terrified but alive? She thought that if she ever saw Len again, she would ask him what happened during such things – what were the precise mechanisms dreams worked upon, and how dreams were different from reality. Were deaths in dreams…deaths in life?

Her gut clenched at the thought of that name. _Len. _The one who had hurt her – the one she thought she had trusted…_but in the end, he can't be trusted, can he? _He was a _baku, _after all. She was anything but one – how was she supposed to understand what he was thinking? She wished he would tell her more about his thoughts, about what he was thinking – she wanted to be angry at him for hurting her, but she couldn't. For she knew that he had his reasons for doing such a thing to her; if he was as evil as he liked to make himself out to be, surely he wouldn't have cried, at the very end. Would he? She swallowed, as she realised she couldn't be sure. He was a good actor. There was no proof that he wasn't simply acting remorseful.

_Am I lost? But how could someone get lost in a place filled with nothing…how could someone get stranded in somewhere they've never been to?_ She shivered, rubbing her hands against her bare upper arms, trying to warm herself up. She was wearing nothing but a flimsy cotton dress, and it did little to protect her against the chill. The mist continued rolling slowly around her – her shivers continued to wrack her body, refusing to stop. She wanted to be warm again, but where could she possibly find warmth in a place where cold reigned? She took another step forward, exhaling in relief when her foot met solid ground. The breath of air was visible in the surrounding cold, billowing around her freezing face.

"Is anyone there?" she called out, knowing it was a futile hope, but hoping nevertheless. If another _baku _were to show up in her dreams – let's say, SeeWoo – she wouldn't know whether to trust him or not. After all, Len, the _baku_ whom she thought she knew best, ended up hurting her anyway – so how was she supposed to trust anyone from the realm of dreams? Nevertheless, she thought that it would be pleasant to have company of some sort. In this void, where nothing around her was reality, she had never felt lonelier than she did now.

She thought she saw, out of the corner of her eye, a quick flicker of blond – she whipped around, and saw nothing there. An illusion, a trick of the mind, enhanced by the hallucinatory qualities this place possessed. She sighed, squashing the tiny flame of hope that had flared to life within her, upon sighting the flicker – the warmth was dampened, the fire extinguished. She was cold and empty again. She wondered whether this dream represented how she was like, inside – was she freezing and lonely and dull, deep within herself?

_Does this dream represent who I truly am?_

She continued doggedly on her way, her footsteps getting slower and slower as the chill penetrated deep past her skin, into her very bones. Her teeth were chattering by now. How cold was it here? Sub-zero? It certainly felt that way. She wished – oh, how she wished – that she was clothed in something thicker. Something warmer, which could help to fight off the cold that threatened to swallow her whole, the cold that seemed almost alive, a physical enemy who could touch her, an enemy whose blows she could not defend against or return.

Lo and behold, sudden warmth shot through her, startling her, making her blink, shaking her out of her sluggish state of half-sleepiness. She didn't want to sleep, for in reality, to sleep in such cold would mean she would never again open her eyes – and she didn't want to risk dying in her dreams. Suddenly, she was warmer. Not warm, but definitely _warmer – _as though a fur jacket had been draped around her. It was the same warmth that filled her when she drank a cup of steaming hot chocolate – it was a very pleasant and familiar warmth. She looked around. To her surprise, someone stood behind her, his arms wrapped around her shoulders. He was warm, she realised blatantly – this boy was the source of the warmth.

He lifted his head – he had buried his face in her shoulder so that she couldn't see his face, though she already had a faint sense of who he might possibly be – and looked her straight in the eye. Dark blue eyes, the colour of a sky at midnight; he stared back at her, his face as blank and expressionless as she was used to. "I'm here," was the soft whisper, sliding softly and smoothly into her ear – _the way a serpent tempts someone to fall. _"You asked who was there, and I responded – I came to you. Shouldn't that make you happy?"

Should it? But he had hurt her, and she still didn't know why. How would that make her happy? She wanted to push away from him, but he was holding her tightly, and she realised that she didn't want to lose the warmth of his embrace, even at the expense of her own dignity. She wondered why – it wasn't exactly a conscious decision, it was more like something within her commanded her not to leave his side. As though she belonged to him, or perhaps was even part of him – but why would she feel that way about him?

After all, it wasn't like he had ever given her any sign that he cared. "Can I trust you?" was all she finally said, her gaze meeting his. For once, those usually calm blue eyes seemed to flicker with some kind of unidentifiable emotion, and in the end he just shrugged. It was nothing more than a simple tilt of his head, mocking her somehow, but somehow also encouraging her to stop, to think and continue. _What is he trying to tell me? Those eyes…_

Instead of simply answering her question, he gave her a question of his own, and she felt her eyes widening in shock as she listened to him speak – "If I wanted to kiss you, would you trust me enough to kiss me back?"

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><p><em><strong>Solitaryloner: <strong>__Sorry for the long wait! I was busy. This chapter is a little strange but, to be honest, it was one of my favourite chapters to write. Don't worry if you can't understand exactly what is going on, because I don't fully get it either. And I'm the writer._


	26. Chapter 26

"Why would you even care?" were the first words that slipped out of her mouth, in response. For that was something she was genuinely curious about – he did not love her, did not truly regard her as anything other than a simple food source – so why would he want to kiss her?

"It was a rhetorical question," he finally said after a long pause, not willing to meet her gaze. His arms tightened around her, and she felt marginally warmer. His presence seemed to drive the cold away – strange, for in reality, his skin was cool to the touch, much cooler than hers. "Why did you conjure up such a setting for yourself?" he changed the topic, looking around. Miku did likewise, her gaze roving across the landscape – nothing had changed other than his sudden presence here. They were still in a misty world of fog and ice, and she still could not see her own feet. In fact, if she was not mistaken, the fog appeared to be thickening.

"I don't know," she told him honestly, wondering if he would have some sort of answer for her. _Is the dream reflective of who I truly am…_she swallowed. She hoped it wasn't; she was lonely inside, but she didn't want to be anything like this dream. She didn't want to be utterly dark and cold and alone – it made her feel so frightened, because she had no idea what might happen in this place, and she had no idea whether she would be able to wake up from this particular dream. It simply did not feel the same as her other dreams – this one didn't seem to have an exit of any sort. "Can you…could you wake me up?" it was almost a plea.

He blinked at her, those intense midnight eyes with the long, feathery eyelashes – he closed his eyes, seemingly concentrating, and she waited with bated breath. After what seemed to be an eternity, his eyes flew open – something almost like shock seemed to flit across his face – before he shook his head. "I can't," his whisper was so soft that it was almost inaudible. Her eyes widened at his words – _but he is a _baku_, shouldn't he be able to do as he wishes within my dreams? _"There are other forces at work here, and they are stronger than me," he told her, frowning slightly. She wondered if he was really feeling, or if all this was just a show. "You have something to do here. You must complete that, or else you won't be able to leave."

The words, which were delivered bluntly, without any attempt to soften them, made her tense up. "What am I supposed to do?" she asked. She had to wonder why this was happening now. After what Len did to her…what _had _he done to her, anyway? Exactly? She could not be sure, as she was in too much pain during the process to actually focus on what was going on upon her body – all she knew was that she hurt, and the pain centred itself upon her stomach. Was there some sort of injury there? She hadn't checked yet, so she decided that she ought to.

Pulling away from Len – the moment she did that, the cold air of her dream blasted right at her, and she realised that she instantly missed his warmth – she pulled up the edge of her flimsy nightdress to check her stomach – what she saw made her pale. _What is this…_with trembling fingers, she reached down, lightly tracing the black spiral that was branded onto her normally blemish-free skin. She certainly didn't recognise this mark…had Len been the one to brand this upon her? She let the dress drop back down, turning to face the blond haired _baku, _her teeth chattering from the cold. _I wonder why it's so cold in this particular dream…_

Len was staring right back at her, his face as unemotional as ever. "What did you do to me just now, Len?" she whispered, her fingers resting lightly over the foreign marking. His blue eyes flicked back and forth, between her and into the distance – she was not sure what he was looking at, for all she could see here was fog and indistinct silhouettes. "What did you do?" she repeated her question, when it seemed evident that he was not about to answer her.

There was a tense moment of silence, as she waited for him to respond. Finally, he let out a sigh – if she didn't know better, if she hadn't known that he could not feel, she would have said that it was a sigh of resignation. "That's a rune," he said quietly, meeting her gaze. "More specifically, it is _my _rune, and it binds you to me…" his voice trailed off, and he looked away, seemingly unwilling to speak any more about this matter. But she didn't want to let go of this – he had piqued her interest, and she wanted to hear the rest of the story.

"What do you mean by binding?" she whispered, watching him for his reaction. He flinched, and she wondered why – _how _he could do that when he couldn't feel. "What do you mean?" her words became impossibly quieter, more of an intense murmur than actual words. He looked back up at her, clearly uncomfortable with what was going on. Was it guilt that she saw, flitting across his features? But he couldn't feel guilt, could he…? _Bakus _can't feel anything. That was something he had told her, over and over again…

"Do you…remember the deal we made, when we first met?" he asked her, his gaze downcast. She nodded, her eyes narrowing in suspicion – the mist wreathed around her, cold tendrils seeming to caress her bare skin, and somehow it reminded her of Death's cold embrace. Seeking to pull her into the chasm of unknowingness…an ominous sign, maybe? "I should tell you what it is I asked for, in return for taking all your nightmares away…" he looked up, his blue eyes seeming to burn her, in the coldness of where they were standing. She found that she could not look away from that midnight blue gaze – they pierced her, and she could not breathe. She was going to drown in those depths – he was suffocating her.

"Well…I decided that…" he bit his lip, looking almost nervous. "My deal with you is that you would be mine," he finally said, his voice almost inaudible. "You were supposed to belong to only me – my food source, my plaything, _mine_," he looked away from her, his blue eyes fixed on something indiscernible in the distance. "And the reason why you can't remember is because I made you forget, every single time I came to mark you; it was a game of sorts, you see. To confuse you, to make you unsure, to make you succumb to me…" he laughed quietly. "I guess, in the end, I should never have made that deal," his voice was bitter.

It took her a while to process his words. _His? I'm supposed to be…his? _She couldn't seem to wrap her head around that thought – it was something so illogical, so incomprehensible to her. She must have agreed to the deal, since she knew that she wouldn't have had any other choice – but had she protested against it? For some reason…she could not be sure, she couldn't recall a single thing about what he had just revealed, but she didn't think she…her head hurt. She looked up, her features hardening into a glare; he flinched again, more obviously this time. "I am not a plaything," she said calmly, quietly, using that as a mask for her confusion.

"I regret it, all right?" he suddenly snapped, making her eyes widen – she had never seen him react before. He was always calm, always sure – this sudden vehemence… "You don't even know how much I regret everything I've done. You don't know _anything,_ anything about what the hell is going on – you just stand there looking at me like you've been wronged, and how do you think I feel? Do you think I am completely guiltless, that I feel nothing? _I feel. _And I don't want to feel, not this time; I wish I could be the indifferent bastard I once was, but I'm not and it's because of you! I don't…" his voice trailed off, his eyes closing.

He was breathing heavily because of the outburst, and she was stunned by him. She had no idea how to react to him, when he had never been so emotional before. It made her wonder whether he was truly as unfeeling as she always thought he was. Finally, she swallowed, walking a little closer to him; he was still avoiding her gaze, his breaths coming out in little ragged gasps. His breath billowed around him, white on white against the fog. She walked until she was standing right before him, and he still refused to look up into her eyes.

"What am I missing?" she asked. She knew there was more to this deal, more to the whole story, than he was letting on. Judging from what he said just now…_regret, he regrets it, but why? _"Tell me, Len," she almost didn't want to hear the answer. She wondered what they were all stuck in now. She wondered why he didn't want to tell her anything. She wondered whether he still thought of her as weak and helpless, unworthy of knowing anything of his world. He was confusing her, but even so…for once, he seemed so _vulnerable._

"Nothing," he muttered. Suddenly, his midnight eyes flicked up, meeting her gaze. She had to hold in a gasp at the intensity of the emotion she could see in those eyes; again, it made her wonder if he was truly as unemotional as he claimed to be. Or was it just because they were both in a dream, that he could give her this kind of pretence of feeling? "It's nothing that you need to worry yourself over," he added abruptly, turning away from her. "You're just human," he seemed to hesitate. "And humans don't have to know anything about the _baku _world."

His voice trailed off as he spoke, so that the last few words sounded soft and unconvincing. She didn't believe him – she knew there was something important here that she _had _to know about, and she wanted to know why he kept hiding it from her. "When are you going to stop lying to me?" she reached out to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. She felt his body stiffen at her touch. "I might be human, but you just said…I am bound to you. According to your deal with me, I'm yours…" the words were foreign on her tongue. "As a result, I am part of your world, in a way. Aren't I?" there was a sudden, almost solid silence between them.

"Well, there are things that even those of my world don't know about…" was the cryptic whisper. He turned, grabbing her shoulders, making her gasp in surprise. His expression was so intense that it took her breath away. "I don't want you hurt," he told her, his seriousness now a stark contrast against the playfulness he had once teased her with. "You're a human, you're so weak and vulnerable and so easily _breakable. _And if you ever find out anything that is deemed sensitive information in my world, they will _kill _you, and I don't think I could live with that. Not with your death on my conscience. Or lack of one," he added.

She didn't know whether or not to be disappointed, that the only reason why he didn't want her dead was because he would feel guilty for causing her death. "Would you tell me, then, if I hadn't been human?" she asked a senseless question, to get her mind off her uncertainty. To her surprise, something flitted across his face at the silly hypothetical question, some sort of emotion, but it passed too quickly for her to actually figure out what emotion it was.

"No," his voice was low, his fingers still gripping her shoulders tightly. "I would never tell you anything, Miku," he admitted, his blond fringe falling over his forehead, covering his eyes. "It's not really so much a matter of what species you are, be you a human or a _baku. _It's…I just…it's because of who you are," he finished lamely. "Your name, your identity, your very self. It's because you're Miku that I can't tell you anything," he withdrew from her, and at once she missed his warmth. "Don't push me anymore. Please," the way the words were said was almost pleading, and she almost gave in to him. But she shook her head.

"No, Len," she gritted her teeth. "I know that this has something to do with me. I can _feel _it," Miku had always trusted her intuition, and her intuition now was telling her that, somehow, she was linked to the frustration Len was apparently feeling at this moment. "Rant at me, or scold me, or do whatever you have to do to get your burdens off your chest – but tell me what is wrong, and how I can make it right," she sounded almost as pleading as he had, just now. Len's eyes narrowed at her, but it was not in anger or annoyance. No, he appeared to be just regarding her, studying her, and she wondered what he was looking out for this time.

"No. I won't tell you," he said, and the finality of his tone made her knew better than to press him further. At least, not for now. Her curiosity would not remain unsatisfied; she would make sure of that. Somehow, some way, she would wheedle the truth out of Len. He changed the topic before she could say anything, effectively making sure that she could no longer harp on about the issue. "We need to find a way out of this dream. Since you yourself as the dreamer cannot be awoken from it…" his words lapsed off as he appeared to be thinking about something. "Then this is quite a problem. We don't know how long you'll be trapped."

"Can't you wake me up outside of this dream? You can move freely in and out of it, can't you?" Miku asked him, sounding matter-of-fact. Len paused, wondering whether he ought to tell her – he didn't want to frighten her. But then, he was already keeping so many secrets from her, and he knew that she would not appreciate being left in the dark this way. He hadn't intended to let that outburst slip out just now, but the frustration and guilt he was feeling over what he had done, the irrational anger he felt over his present situation…it all culminated in senseless words and illogical finger-pointing. He wouldn't allow that again.

"I can't," he said simply, his fingers clenching, the only visible outward sign of his distress. "I have tried moving out of this dream, back into the real world," he explained, noticing the worry that flickered to life in her green eyes. "I can't. I'm stuck in this dream as much as you are, and…" he tilted his head, looking around. Mist-shrouded landscape, intangibility, an unseen floor…it was all so familiar to him, somehow. Something he had seen a long time ago. If only he could recall exactly what this was, why he found it so recognisable, like an old friend who had changed so much he could barely tell who it was anymore…

"Then what do we do?" she asked, plainly trying to keep her nervousness under control. At least this issue, which was more urgent at the moment, was distracting her from what he had mistakenly let slip just now. He should never have told her about the deal; it sparked off her curiosity, making her wonder what he was talking about. Making her wonder why he was so _different, _for he knew he was not behaving like himself – making her wonder so many things. He could see the glimmer of dogged curiosity in her gaze, the same curiosity that all the _bakus _shared, and he knew that she would not let him off as easily as he hoped she would.

Damn that rune. Why had it followed her into the dream? Dreamers only could dream about things they knew about, unless the dream had been sent by an external force. He knew that she did not know about the rune; she had passed out before she could focus properly upon it, back in the physical world. Which meant that this was a dream which was not of her own making. Someone had given this dream to her, caused her to know of the bond between herself and Len. Whatever this external force was, it annoyed the hell out of Len.

Yes, annoyed. In this dream, somehow, his emotions were even more vivid than ever, but for once he wished he didn't have to feel. All he felt now was guilt and regret. If only he had never met this girl, no matter how vivid a little dreamer she was…if only he hadn't foolishly struck such a bargain with her. But there was no point in hankering after _what-ifs _and _what-nots_. As a _baku_, logical and precise, he knew better than to waste time longing for things he could not and would never obtain. The only thing he could do now was focus on their problem, focus on the present. He had to get out of this mysterious dreamscape.

He had to protect his key. He couldn't afford to let her come to any harm, not when she was so important and powerful. He didn't want her to know anything which would get her killed; she might be a halfling, but she knew nothing of magic, and she did not know how to shield and hide her thoughts. It was why he refused to tell her anything, for if she ever got caught, if anyone who wasn't from the _baku _brethren found out who she was, she would be killed. The information he was holding to himself was dangerous, and he could not, _would not_ put her in harm's way. He was not entirely sure what he felt for her, or why he even felt so strongly for her, but what he knew was that if she was to hurt because of him, he would suffer.

The pain he had inflicted upon her earlier was already sufficient proof of that… "I have seen this before," he said slowly, finally giving voice to the considerations running through his head. Miku was listening intently to him, her eyes never leaving him; he tried not to let that piercing green gaze affect him too much. _Her eyes make me shiver. _He wasn't sure why. It was cold, so cold, even for him. "Some time, back in the past, a long, long time ago…" he took a step forward, into the cold mist. Miku hastened after him, obviously uneasy about being left alone in such a mysterious place. _In such a dangerous place._

He didn't tell her that this place was hostile. He had the feeling he didn't _have _to tell her; it was probably a thought she had been nursing since she first awoke to this dream. The place was filled with practically tangible danger, tendrils of anger and cold and darkness and pure ruthlessness, all twining around them. The mist was the cause – the mist made everything blurry and indistinct, and it made his hackles rise. He didn't like this, not in the slightest bit. This was dark magic. Someone had summoned them into this dream – and, the dream would not allow them to leave until they had done what this someone wanted…

He paused. Miku walked right into his back, and she skittered away, but he paid her little attention at this point of time, his mind racing. Who could possibly want to talk to both her and him, be _desperate _enough that they would trap the two of them in this dream? And, if they really wanted to meet him and Miku…why did they have yet to show themselves? He couldn't really think of anyone who would have a motive for this – Luki, perhaps, but he would not want to meet Miku. She was his niece, and he would not risk harming her.

The king of the gods? No, surely not; the king would just strike them down where they stood, if he ever realised that the key was still alive. Hakuo? No, again he thought that was unlikely. Hakuo could barely stand Len; there was no reason for the dream eater to summon him. Kaito would not use dark magic to begin with, so that ruled the final member of the disciplinary trio out. The only other person who knew of Miku, who knew she was special, would be…

_SeeWoo. _Len gritted his teeth. Was it possible that the ash blond _baku_ was the one who had trapped them in this dream? _But how…_to send a dream required a connection of some sort, a physical connection. Hakuo, Kaito and Luki all had some of Len's things; little malicious playthings they had confiscated from him, because he was using them to tamper with the minds of not only mortals, but other _bakus_ as well. And the king had his blood; the king had the blood of every single _baku_ in the world. A record and identification of sorts, of course. But SeeWoo had nothing which belonged to him, nothing with his essence, nothing that could be used to link the spell to him…so how could he have possibly done such a…

_Dammit. _Suddenly, Len knew – because the spell could go both ways, and so long as Len was holding on to something of SeeWoo's…Len looked down to his jacket, where the _athame _was concealed, pressing against his chest. _I knew he would have a motive for giving me one of his belongings. _And, since Miku was bound to him, by sending a spell to Len, he did the same to Miku, and once Miku was asleep and Len entered her dream, neither one of them could escape until SeeWoo allowed them to…sometimes, Len really didn't like dreams, and how easily twisted they could become as a result of spells. "SeeWoo," he hissed softly.

"What about him?" Miku asked quietly, her voice filled with hesitance. Len paused; he knew that Miku did not have the same negative impression he had of the nightmare eater, since the ash blond _baku_ had always been careful to seem nice and kindly towards her. He behaved in a way that was the exact opposite of his genuine nature, and that irked Len quite a bit.

"He's the one who trapped us in this dream," Len muttered. "I remember now. This is a spell, cast with dark magic; it lasts for 24 hours, and after that it will wear off. Magic is weaved over an item, a personal object, and sent out towards the intended target. If the target – _or anyone who is bound to the target _– falls asleep within the next 24 hours, they will be trapped in this dream until the caster sees fit to release them. It can be used as a prison of sorts; there are people who are eternally unable to get out of here," he noticed the horrified look on her face. "Oh, it's not as easy as you think it is to cast this spell. It's quite a powerful spell, and it can't be any old object. It has to be something you hold dear. Like your blood, or a lock of your hair, or even a favoured weapon. Something that holds much of your essence."

_So SeeWoo favours this _athame _over his other weapons, then. _If the ash blond _baku _did not, the spell would not have worked. _I'm never accepting any gifts or loans from SeeWoo again, no matter how genuine he seems at the time, or how helpful his present might be. Even after all these years of hostility, I still let my guard down around my disciple too easily. _"So he's the one who trapped us in this dream…" Miku whispered, repeating what he told her to herself. "Why would he do such a thing?" she asked Len, nervousness still there in her green eyes. He was struck by the sudden urge to pull her to him, and hug her, comfort her, reassure her that everything was going to be all right and there was no need for her to worry.

He didn't give in to that strange impulse. "To talk to us? To torment us? There's no telling with SeeWoo," Len's laugh was bitter. "I used this spell upon him once, a long time ago," he recalled, rather sentimentally. "But I haven't used it since. It was many years ago, which is why I find all this rather familiar, yet not. I suppose…" he glanced around. The mist remained cold and almost solid with its thickness. "He was not entirely pleased about being confined to this dreamland for so long. This might be his idea of a prank, or he might really have something to discuss. I can't be sure. I don't know what he thinks anymore."

"What's your relationship with him, really?" Miku asked, curiosity sparking in her voice once again. He wanted to curse that damned emotion – it was the very bane of his existence, his unquenchable curiosity that would never be satisfied, no matter what. She was reminding him of his curse, yet he did not feel the urge to strike out at her, or keep her quiet. "The two of you seem strangely respectful towards each other, yet…" she hesitated. "It sounds as if you cannot stand him. Even though you said before, you two like to play games…"

"Games," Len's voice was flat. "An apt way to put it, I suppose," he did not say anything more than that, and perhaps Miku knew better than to press him further, for she did not say anything about this matter. Len reached out, letting his fingers brush through the chilling mist; it numbed his fingertips, made his mind go blank for a few seconds. The dark magic shocked him, and he withdrew his hand, watching the tendrils of mist coil around him. It was odd, that something so seemingly harmless could actually bring so much pain. He wondered why Miku did not seem to hurt because of the mist; then again, Len was the one SeeWoo didn't like.

He turned around to glance at her. He noticed she was shivering, rubbing her hands across her arms, and he wanted to curse SeeWoo for putting a mere mortal through this – this was something a human usually could not handle, and it startled him that she had yet to succumb to the cold loneliness this place offered. This was a special spell that could only be cast with dark magic; it was used by the nightmare eaters to drive their favourite victims mad. Len himself had never used this spell because he was not into slow, lingering madness – he preferred to torture them quickly, and watch them metamorphose into gibbering fools almost instantaneously in front of him. This lonely mist was too slow a method for him.

"Are you cold?" he asked a stupid question, and wanted to take his words back. _Of course she's cold. _She nodded, her teeth chattering, her long teal hair limp against her sides. He paused, wondering what to do – he could not conjure a fire or anything to keep her warm, for he knew that the mist would snuff out whatever warmth there was immediately. But he did not want her to suffer – she was his, and he would make sure that she did not die of cold on his watch. Finally, he let out a sigh, watching the cold breath mist up before him. "Come here," he said softly, holding out his arms. She looked up, obviously startled, reminding him of a rabbit in the headlights of a car. He beckoned. Slowly, carefully, she came closer.

He pulled her against him, leaning his chin against her shoulder. "Is this better?" he asked her, his voice still soft. He felt her nod, and his eyes closed, almost against his will. _She's soft. But her skin is so cold. It's usually warm…_ "Then I won't let you go," he whispered, painfully aware of how close she was to him. Her near proximity was making him a little unsure of himself, and what he was saying – she shattered his confidence, made him think and wonder about her. Himself. The both of them. She buried her face in his chest, and he reached out to stroke her long hair, trying to reassure her, and in the process reassure himself.

_SeeWoo, you better show yourself soon. _He now had little doubt that SeeWoo was the one who had sent this dream to trap them. There was no point in raging and yelling for him – that would only amuse SeeWoo. And, on the small chance that it wasn't the blond _baku _who had summoned them…Len just knew it would be better to remain quiet, and conserve his energy. He let out a sigh, sounding almost resigned, even to his own ears. He knew SeeWoo was fairly fond of Miku, since she was such a delicious food source, and he especially knew that SeeWoo would not want her to die or the like. Especially since she was their key.

_It's cold, and she's cold. You'd better not keep us waiting long, SeeWoo, _Len projected his thoughts, just in case the blond haired _baku _could hear him. There was silence, and Len's lips curled up into a bitter smile; not that this was entirely unexpected. He never knew what his old disciple was thinking anymore. Miku sighed against his shirt, and he looked down at her, shaking her slightly – he was not sure if people could die in this dream, but he didn't want to take any chances; if Miku fell asleep in such bitter cold, she might not wake up ever again.

_I know she's cold. I'll be there soon. Be patient, _a familiar voice suddenly rang through Len's mind. Len's eyes widened, and his bitter smile changed into a smirk. So SeeWoo _had _been listening out for him, after all. That was good. He shifted a little, cupping Miku's cheek in the palm of his hand; she was still cold, but he thought she was a tiny bit warmer than she had been, mere moments ago. He exhaled in relief – _that's good, then. _He decided to do as SeeWoo said, and just patiently wait. Nevertheless, he was worried for his mortal – she was human, she was more susceptible to cold and death. He didn't want her to suffer.

_Hurry up, _Len thought. He paused, and then he closed his eyes. _Please._

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><p><em><strong>Solitaryloner: <strong>__Hurray for updates? (Hurray for reviews yay I like reviews. So please do leave one if you can!)_


	27. Chapter 27

He waited for a while. He didn't know how long. She stayed there, and sometimes he had to glance down at her just to ensure that she hadn't frozen to death.

_You'd think that someone so powerful would have greater resistance against the cold, but what could you expect from a mortal? Even if she was half-_baku…Len cupped her cheek, his fingers trailing across icy skin. It was dangerously cold, and he feared for her safety. The fear was striking and intense, and it was almost a new experience to him – again, he marvelled at the strength of her emotions, at how she could make him feel so vividly.

He ignored the pain which stroked against him, tiny sparks of dark magic that were anything but distant. The dark magic wanted him to stay, but their affection could only be communicated through the means of pain, and Len could do nothing but accept their painful adoration for him, being one of the nightmare _bakus. _He cast his gaze upwards, and the mist around him parted so that he could glimpse a ceiling, half-shrouded by grey and fog. It was so high, so far away…he could almost mistake it for the sky of this dreamscape, but he knew that there was no open sky. This was nothing but a giant cell.

He sensed SeeWoo's approach before the _baku _actually came to them, and when the ash blond nightmare eater finally appeared before him, worn lines of exhaustion actually visible around his blue-grey eyes, Len didn't even look up at him, his fingers sliding against Miku's teal hair. She was not asleep, nor was she awake – she was in a strange state of limbo because one could not fully sleep in this dream, nor could she fight to stay awake in this embittering cold. He wondered how this experience of not sleeping, yet not staying awake, would feel like for her. It was a most frustrating state for him.

"I needed a place where we absolutely _could not _be overheard, not even the slightest chance," SeeWoo said without preamble, sitting before Len so that their gazes could meet. Len took note of the tense lines around SeeWoo's mouth – suddenly, despite them only having seen each other a few hours ago, the nightmare eater seemed to have aged several centuries. It made Len wonder why, and the familiar curiosity he usually sought to suppress rose up within him, bubbling like premium champagne. He did not rein in the emotion this time, allowing the curiosity to find its once familiar spot on his face.

"Why?" he asked – a simple question with innumerable inflections and possibilities, and SeeWoo was well aware of that. He felt strangely at peace despite facing the one who had trapped him and Miku in this damned place, and he wondered idly if the piercing cold of the place was finally getting to him, softening him. Len would normally be at his throat by now, demanding an explanation and his release. Perhaps he was getting tired. Perhaps he was losing even his defiant streak. It was a most bothersome thought.

"It is time," SeeWoo's voice was hushed, excited even – it infected even Len, and made the blond nightmare eater sit slightly straighter, wanting to listen to the sweet words and lies SeeWoo uttered – for what did his former disciple know other than lies? "You have bound her to you, and her magical strength, whatever it is, is free for you to use. We can overthrow the king!" the last few words were delivered with pomp and flourish, and the fervour of future triumph shone in blue-grey eyes, seeming almost idealistic in its exhilaration. But Len was older than SeeWoo, and was jaded to idealism.

"There is more to this sudden news than you are telling me, SeeWoo," his former disciple started, staring incredulously at Len, and Len just smiled, a bitter smile that indicated no hostility to anyone other than himself. "I have taught you too well and put too much of myself in your being. I know you are hiding something, and I can see that in the exhaustion and weariness on your face. You look older than I do. What is it that you are not telling me about the key? Is she really the key to unlocking great power?"

"…what would possibly make you think otherwise?" SeeWoo's voice flattened, the former excitement in it giving way to typical expressionless intonations. "You have sensed and felt the power in her blood, and you know that she is not a normal human. You know that she is different; you _know _she is the key to breaking us out of our binds. And now that you have assured control over her abilities, whatever they may be, why are you not using them to help our suppressed brethren? Is that not your duty, since you are the one who so foolishly made a contract with the means of our freedom?"

Something sparked in Len at SeeWoo's choice of words. "There was never anything about _duty_," he snapped, causing the younger _baku _to quieten. "I didn't know what I was getting myself into, which was admittedly a gross oversight on my part, but that doesn't mean that I am obligated to use my key to overthrow the king…at least, not without more information, which you are clearly not willing to reveal to me. I wouldn't put it past you to withhold important information from me, SeeWoo – you don't mind so long as it benefits yourself, and you are so much like me that it actually terrifies me a little."

There was nothing but a prolonged silence between them, during which Len just stared at SeeWoo, and the _baku _refused to return his stare, looking away from him like he could not bear to meet Len's gaze. Finally, SeeWoo sighed and spoke, and Len paid careful attention, not wanting to risk falling into another trap set by the nightmare eater. It was impossible to tell what SeeWoo was ever truly thinking. "The key…you know that it wields great power, but no one knows what it does exactly," SeeWoo said slowly. Len just tilted his head, indicating that the nightmare eater should continue.

So SeeWoo did precisely that. "The issue is, the key not only has powers of its own, but it is also capable of _amplifying _the magical ability of its current owner...however, this is at the expense of having to tap into its own store of magical energy," _that's not really something particularly revolutionary. It can't be just this, SeeWoo wouldn't care at all about something so minor – so what else is there? _SeeWoo clearly knew that Len could tell there was more, and the ash blond nightmare eater hesitated – for the first time in several decades, Len actually saw his proud disciple _hesitate. _Not in the name of fun, not a purposeful act to elicit more fear and nervousness – he genuinely hesitated, almost as though he was worried.

Len was truly curious now, and that curiosity gnawed away at him furiously, demanding to be satisfied after spending so long squashed under the stronger will of the nightmare eater. "There is more to that, and you know it. We both know it. What have you learnt – what did the necromantic magic finally deign to tell you about the key and its powers? It must be something quite horrible, for you to be so cautious," Len mused.

SeeWoo's eyes were bleak, and that was a strange emotion for him to sight upon the _baku's _face, for though bleakness was an emotion at the same time it wasn't one. It was a stark, empty emotion, and to see it on SeeWoo's face meant that things truly weren't going the way he had expected them to. It made Len wonder fervently, and at the same time he wondered if he would regret feeling this curiosity. Then again, once he was out of Miku's dream, he would cease to feel, and regret would be a thing of the past.

"I learnt…" he wetted his lips quickly, his tongue flicking out in a way that reminded Len almost of a snake, "I learnt that the longer the key is bound to a magical entity, and is used to amplify their powers…" SeeWoo suddenly let out a heavy sigh, seemingly resigned to telling the truth. "The more her life force is drained. She is a magical energy source; the more she is used, the more she is emptied, the closer she gets to death. She is now, essentially, functioning just like us – but while we siphon emotional energy to sustain our lives, she has no way to reenergise herself. Since you are now bound to her in power, you have activated her amplification skills, and that slowly drains her magical source. I don't know how much longer she has left to live, which is why we absolutely have to act now, before the key runs out of magic! She is _not_ an infinite source!"

Len blinked, his mind initially refusing to process what SeeWoo was saying. Because that couldn't possibly be true – he couldn't possibly have set off a series of events which would culminate in his energy source perishing. That _couldn't _be. "How did you learn this?" he asked, his voice low – SeeWoo just shook his head despairingly, his eyes closing in exhaustion. He looked more worn than Len had ever seen him. It now made sense why SeeWoo didn't tell him anything more about the rituals, why he waited until now to say this – because otherwise, Len would never have done that to Miku, because he would never have wanted her to slowly fade out of existence. He needed her.

He needed her sweet, sweet dreams, and if binding her power to him would cause some sort of strange reaction whereby her life was slowly drained away from her…if he had known, he would never have done this to her. "The necromantic magic told me," SeeWoo said bluntly. "But you can't blame me for withholding such information," SeeWoo added, almost furiously. "You want to get free of the tyranny of the king god as much as anyone from our brethren does, don't you? Don't you want your true emotions back, so that you no longer have to be an emotion vampire and put on a constant farce of feeling and deception? Wouldn't you want to be free again, free from the obligations to the throne and the constant fear and threat of death? _Don't you want all that?_"

Len fixed his disciple with an even stare, unable to get angry at him because he knew that everything SeeWoo said made logical sense. It was he who was illogical now, and that gave him no right to lash out at his former disciple. "Yes, I want to be free, and if using the key to overthrow the throne could be done without any repercussions, I would have agreed to do so on the spot – but now, you have sentenced her to a slow, lingering death, and you expect me to just go ahead with ridding the heavens of the king? She might be the key, the most important weapon our brethren has ever managed to possess, but she is also my _food source_ - and don't forget that I am extremely selfish, and I will not do anything which would harm my being," he smiled bitterly.

"So you would place yourself above your brethren, and leave all of us to our chains," SeeWoo's voice was disbelieving. "You would do so at your own whimsical desires and cravings, because the key is a food source you do not wish to eliminate? Len, she is _bound _to you already! Your rune is branded on her skin – you're linked, and she's already making use of her skills to amplify your magic! How else do you think you can withstand the pain of this fog like it is no more than an irritant? You of all people should be aware that the pain of this mist is far from mild. She is already amplifying your magic and your resistance, Len – and as a result, no matter what you do, she will have to die."

"All humans die. It is a fact of life, irreversible and unchangeable," Len said softly, his words scarcely more than a whisper in the tangible pain which surrounded them. Miku stirred at his words, and he glanced down at her – she was still trapped in the state between sleep and wakefulness, and he thought it was better that he did not rouse her. There was no need for her to know about this – the less she knew, the better, for if anyone who was not a _baku _ever came into her proximity and realised what she knew, their entire brethren was doomed, and she would no doubt be eliminated.

"She is not entirely human," SeeWoo countered, his lips set in a stubborn frown. Len just shrugged, a light smile curving his lips – he was at a stage where he could hardly bring himself to care anymore. He had never really cared anyway, being a _baku,_ and now he still found it difficult to feel that emotion. He would have to weigh the long-term and the short-term benefits of using her powers now to overthrow the god king, and wouldn't it be better if he waited till she was at the end of her allotted life span, if she was already going to die anyway? Then he wouldn't have to lose his favoured food source sooner.

Or perhaps he just did not want to lose her at all. But he was selfish and self-centred, and such a thought didn't occur to him. "If you let us out of here," he said slowly, his voice coated with familiar poisonous honey, "then I will visit the disciplinary trio, and you can come along. We can discuss this matter, but believe me when I say I will not act simply upon your instigation. You are not trustworthy in the slightest, and I would prefer a separate opinion…especially when the girl involved is one whom Luki would hold dear to him. He sacrificed everything to keep his niece safe, after all."

SeeWoo blinked, looking stunned by the words which had flowed out of Len's mouth, and Len belatedly realised that SeeWoo must not have known of the relationship between Miku and Luki Megurine. "Wait. Wait…" SeeWoo glanced at the drowsing girl, his brow furrowing in intense concentration. "So _you're _claiming that…this girl, Miku Hatsune," he started, the frown deepening, "is Luki's _niece? _So that implies that the _baku _side of her came from Luki's sister…" SeeWoo's words trailed off. "I'm not surprised."

Len tilted his head, his arms wrapping tightly around Miku's waist – he could feel her head slipping off his shoulder, and he adjusted her so that she wouldn't fall. At this point, his actions were almost mechanical, as he focused most of his attention on what the other nightmare eater was saying. "You have met Luki's sister? I heard she's mad," he said carefully, wondering if those rumours were true. He had not met the woman before, but from what he heard, after the carnage the king god wrought upon their kind, she had become a recluse, spouting nonsensical words and prophecies every so often.

"…I've met her before," he agreed, folding his arms across his chest in an almost defensive gesture. "She's…not what one might consider to be normal, that is true," he conceded, his gaze drifting away from Len. "I would say she is pining, rather. Her grief is so great that the king's curse is not able to fully affect her, but the constant struggle between her heaving emotions and the curse drove her…well, if you ever meet her for yourself, you will understand," SeeWoo sounded almost uncomfortable. "It is why Luki refuses to speak of his sister. How often have you heard him really mention her before?"

_Almost never, _but Len didn't say that aloud. He knew Luki had a sister, because he had been born before the curse was set, and he met the dream eater then – Luki's sister was a beautiful woman, sharing the same eyes as her older brother. Luki was protective of her, or at least he had been until the carnage – subsequently, Len heard little news of the woman, and assumed that she had been locked away due to her apparent insanity. Was it possible for _bakus _to go mad? He couldn't be sure, but Luki's sister had not been seen in their world for quite a while, and he didn't think that she had died yet…

"You seem shocked that Miku could be related to Luki's sister. Why is that so?" Len asked that question instead, and half-expected SeeWoo to tell him the truth. He couldn't be sure if a single word the nightmare eater said was true, but it was better than not knowing anything at all. SeeWoo blinked, seemingly startled by the question.

"Is that matter really important? I just didn't think that Miku would be related to the disciplinary trio, that's all," SeeWoo answered, sounding almost offended. "I mean, not physically, just…" he sighed. "I must admit that despite all my knowledge, one thing I cannot understand is reincarnation and rebirth. It makes little sense to me, since the reincarnated person is said to be related to their old relatives, yet at the same time the body they are born into shares none of the old ones' blood. It is simply illogical."

"No, it makes perfect sense," Len shook his head. "Her soul is that of the key. Her body is simply that of Miku. I doubt she looks like what she did before she was reincarnated. If she did, Luki would have recognised her sooner," he would have asked about the key sooner – initially, the only thing Luki had warned him about was regarding love, and falling in love with a mortal…he started at the thought, and wondered if he was in love with Miku. _But my kind can't feel, and everything I experience now is simply a result of her energy. If she loves me, will I feel as though I love her? Is this care and affection I feel no more than an illusion brought about by her own feelings? I know she has affections for me._

"You wish to speak to the trio," SeeWoo stated, changing the topic – Len looked up at him, interrupted midway through his thought process. "Just to see if now would be a suitable time…you do not believe my words then?" he tilted his head, a seemingly innocuous action that, at the same time, was almost malicious. "What I said to you about her life force is not a lie, at least. That you can be certain; and even if you ask the trio about it they will not know. They do not have the same access to the knowledge of ancients which I do. None of them have ever dabbled with the unknown, not that I know of."

"I'm not disbelieving you about that point," Len said patiently, though a hint of irritation made itself known on his face. "If you really just wanted me to get rid of the king, you would not have told me about the effect that would have on the key. What I want to know from the trio is whether now is a suitable time. I do not do things for the sake of our brethren, SeeWoo – you know that. My foremost priority is myself, and while I admit that it would be nice to have our emotions back, I also know that the _bakus _are slowly getting free from the curse. The king is getting lax. I can see it in the way the trio speaks to me. If they are slowly feeling by themselves, then I see no reason why I should sacrifice my favourite food source just to do something that would come about naturally."

"Then what would meeting the trio have to do with anything?" SeeWoo's impatience finally broke out into his voice, and the ash blond nightmare eater glared at Len, evidently losing his temper as he rose from the floor in his anger. Len felt a strange sense of triumph, because SeeWoo was usually ruffled and calm, with a poised smile on his face – to see him so ruffled and emotional was actually quite a new experience, and Len was enjoying it immensely. In an unemotional world, where dreams were the only place they could feel and everyone was usually dead to experiences, to make someone flare up would be quite…satisfying.

Len looked up at SeeWoo. Now SeeWoo was standing, while Len was sitting with Miku in his arms; but there was a sense that despite this change in power – for SeeWoo towered over Len, and Len was looking up to him – Len was still the one in control. He was the one with control over his emotions, no matter how fresh and new the feelings in this dream were, and he was the one who had more experience than SeeWoo. SeeWoo had more knowledge, but Len had more experience, and had done far more things in his youth and life than his protégé. They were both aware of that.

Miku was oblivious to the tension between them, but it wasn't a peaceful kind of oblivion. She was clearly troubled, and he wondered if subconsciously, she could hear what they were saying – but even if she could, she would not understand what they were talking about, so that didn't matter. "In all honesty, I wouldn't mind overthrowing the king. I just don't see the need to. The disciplinary trio are the ones who represent the voices of the _baku _community at large, and they are older than both you and I put together," he shrugged. "They have knowledge, they would understand if doing this would make any difference. If they want me to do so, I will confront the king. Otherwise…forget it."

SeeWoo sighed, all the fight suddenly leaving him, so that Len was reminded of a deflated balloon. "Very well…_very well,_" the _baku _repeated, his voice as weary as the appearance of his body. "If that is what is needed to convince you, then very well. We will visit the trio and see what they have to say. I do hope that your hesitation isn't simply because you care for the key, Len. After all, you're the one who always claimed that it is foolish to love or care for a mortal. She is mortal, even if she was born a halfling, and if you're doing the exact same things you claimed were immoral and weak to do, it's…hypocritical of you, don't you feel?" he cocked his head childishly.

"Even if I do care, even if it is hypocritical, then what's wrong with that?" Len countered, his tone blunt. "Is there really anything wrong with hypocrisy? Everyone in the world is a hypocrite anyway, be they mortal or otherwise. I am not lofty or idealistic, and I do not claim to be anything I am not. If I am hypocritical, and if you think so, then what would a protest against that judgement do? It's not going to change what I intend to do anyway, no matter how people view me. So what if I change my mind?" he sighed. "But all that is hypothetical anyway. I never admitted to caring for the girl," he met SeeWoo's gaze.

The nightmare eater smiled. "Well, if you insist," he said smoothly, suddenly settling back into the familiar, unruffled SeeWoo whom he knew. "I shall take you out of the dream then. Rouse her, would you?" SeeWoo added, glancing at Miku. "We need her awake to get out of the dream – but it's good that she wasn't listening the whole time, I suppose," he mused. "We don't need her to know that she's going to die. The less a mortal knows about the gods and their matters, the better it is for everyone."

"That's what I thought so too…" Len murmured, snapping his fingers before Miku's face. The girl started, her eyes flicking wide open – her gaze was blank and staring, almost like a doll. It was different from what he was used to, and he wondered about that – but before he could observe her for too long, SeeWoo's hand latched on to his shoulder, and then the world faded, and the only thing he could see was black.

* * *

><p>Len awoke in his own room, his body curled around Miku, who was still sleeping, or so it seemed. SeeWoo was not in the room, but that didn't surprise him. The dream world never indicated their physical presences, anyway. SeeWoo was probably elsewhere, but he had little doubt that the nightmare eater would be making his way here now.<p>

What did surprise him was the fact that Miku was still unconscious. SeeWoo had already released them from the dream prison, so she ought to be stirring now. But she wasn't, her eyes still closed, her lips pressed together tightly, like there was some secret in her body and if she opened her mouth, it would spill out into the light, like a terrible malady out to afflict everyone. Her hands were clasped together, as if in prayer. Len studied her, uncertain about her state – she was supposed to be awake, yet she was not, and now she looked like death. He was certain she did not look like this before they fell asleep.

Curious, he tugged her shirt up, studying the rune emblazoned on her skin. It seemed to writhe under his stare, but it looked no different to what it did just moments before, and he let the shirt drop back down, his mind racing to understand what was happening. Was there ever a case where the person remained stuck in the prison, even after their jailor released them from the world? No, that had never happened before – dark magic was dangerous and malicious, but one thing it could not be said to be was unreliable.

Dark magic always did what the owner bade it do, and she should be awake. She _should _be. What was happening? Len let out a breath of annoyance, and realised abruptly that he could…he could _feel. _The agitation swarming in the back of his mind, the racing of his heart, the clamminess of his palms, the way he watched her carefully like how a mother would watch over a sick child – he was _feeling, _these were his actual feelings, and he wasn't using a single bit of emotional energy in the slightest. This wasn't just a farce for the people who interacted with him…he could feel them, these emotions were his _own. _He swallowed, exploring the newfound emotions the way one would use a new prosthetic limb – with careful wariness, he remembered the different emotions he was once capable of feeling, and tried to apply each one to the situation he was facing.

He decided that worry and nervousness were best suited for this strange problem, but also knew that panicking would be of no use. He tried to rouse her, but she did not respond, almost like she was in a coma. What was a coma other than a suspended state of dreaming? He wondered if he ought to dive back into her mind and see what she was dreaming, but when he actually tried to do that, he found he was blocked from accessing her head, and try as he might he simply could not enter her dream world. That either meant that she had sealed him out, but that could not possibly be the case when he had been with her just moments ago – so the other alternative was…_she is not dreaming?_

_Then what are you? _At that moment, a knock sounded on the door – SeeWoo must not have been able to figure out the new password Len set for his chambers. He had taken great care in choosing a password no one could figure out, because he simply couldn't risk any _baku _walking in and realising what he was doing with this mortal girl. He didn't want anyone in his world to realise that he had brought a human up to the _baku _dimension. They would question him, and he did not wish for anyone to know that there was a mortal here, and he especially did not want them to know her function. This was a secret meant to be shared with no one…at least, not unless it was absolutely necessary.

He muttered the password softly, his gaze fixed on that pale face with the unmoving eyes and the still lips – she was so motionless, and were it not for the faint rise and fall of her chest he would have thought her dead. The door opened, and SeeWoo came in softly, reminding Len of a cat hunting its prey. Once the nightmare eater was inside the room, the door slid closed, and SeeWoo approached his bed, footsteps still almost soundless. Len himself didn't notice him getting closer, all his attention taken in by his key and mortal, and it was only when an elegant hand reached out to cup Miku's cheek did Len realise that SeeWoo had already made his way from the door to his side.

"What's going on…?" SeeWoo murmured, more to himself than to Len. "I let the both of you out, so she shouldn't still be suspended in limbo. Is there something wrong with the spell? But that can't be, the spell has never gone wrong before…" SeeWoo suddenly turned to face Len, who was watching the two of them, his blue eyes narrowed. "Was she any different in the dream? I do not know, since when I arrived she was already like this. If there was anything different about her, you have to tell me – that difference might be what affected her so that, even outside of the dream world, she is still in a state of neither wakefulness nor sleep," SeeWoo said his piece, his words delicate and careful.

A difference…? Len frowned, trying to think back to his interaction with the girl. There hadn't really been anything wrong, though he did find it strange that she had seemed so…weak. Not weak in the body, but weak in the emotions. He was used to her being passionate and curious. He was used to her having volatile emotions which burnt against him, demanding and accusing. He was used to her weakness of heart, but not to the weakness of her feelings – she was always strong there, the strength of her emotion being the one thing that could never be challenged. He had desired that strength.

Miku was, occasionally, rather subservient to him. A simple kiss or a sly word was often more than enough to work her up into a fluster, and cause her to forget everything he had done to her. She could get angry, and he had felt her anger and irritation before. But in this dream…no, the anger was muted. He _knew _she had been angry at him for kidnapping her and hurting her – he had seen that anger in the coldness of her tone, the way her eyes narrowed at him – but the strange thing was how this time, the anger had not lasted for long, and the depth of the emotion was less than what he was used to.

At the time, he told himself that her anger was replaced with bewilderment, which was why her emotions didn't seem as strong to him as they usually were. Usually, if she got mad at him, the passion of her wrath burnt him like fire, and he would be drawn to it, wanting more but staying well away at the same time. This time differed, but even if the mildness of her temper was due to confusion, then the newfound confusion was weaker than what he was used to as well. She frequently felt confused while around him, so he was used to sensing the intensity of her uncertainty…but this time, compared to her usual befuddlement, her confusion at all the secrets he was holding back from her was nothing. It was pathetic, and for any other human it would not have drawn his attention. Her personal feelings in this dream were a far cry from what he usually sensed.

True, the dream itself was full of emotional energy. But the girl displayed no more feelings or passion than a limp rag doll. That part made him feel confusion, which was another emotion he had not experienced truly in centuries, and he didn't understand how to deal with the emotion, so he tried to stay away from it. He told SeeWoo of this difference, and when he was done with the details, the nightmare eater looked grim. Now that Len had feelings of his own, he could see past the farce SeeWoo was putting up, and realised that the nightmare eater had never been anything but a good actor. Since Len could now experience emotion himself without relying on external energy, he saw that SeeWoo's act was nothing but a pretence, incomparable to the real thing.

He elected not to tell SeeWoo that he could now feel, uncomfortably attributing this difference to the fact that the curse was weakening, though he was aware that even if that was the case, this change should not have happened so quickly. He would ask someone else himself about this – SeeWoo would probably just give him some warped version of the truth again. "I don't know why, or if that emotional change you sensed from her has anything to do with her life force weakening or your bond or the current state she is in now," SeeWoo finally said after some consideration. "Nor does the seed of necromantic magic still lingering in me have any answer. This is something I cannot understand. We will have to ask someone who is well-versed with the old artefacts."

"Really now…? And pray tell me, who would have any experience regarding the old legends?" Len's voice was filled with horribly masked impatience. "You of all the _bakus _were interested in the legends. None of the rest ever displayed interest in the olden artefacts – everyone else was smart enough to know that interfering with the works of Fate and the old gods is folly, and troublesome enough without unleashing some kind of curse upon the world or the like. Who else would have done research into this – would understand enough about the key to figure out what is happening to her?"

SeeWoo's eyes gleamed with some sort of unidentifiable emotion – Len could not read it since he did not know what it was like to fake his feelings anymore. He was still rather incredulous about the fact that he could feel, and expected this to be taken away from him at any moment. "I never said that we are going to ask the other dream eaters," SeeWoo said simply. "Of course I know that none of them would have done research about the whole matter. I meant to ask someone else about it – for _bakus _are not the only ones who are involved in legendary magic and artefacts, don't you think?"

"Then who do you have in mind?" Len asked, curiosity getting the better of him. Curiosity was a familiar emotion to him, and he didn't have any qualms about letting it seep into his voice now – not when he could feel such a diverse, unbelievable range of other sensations. _How strange…_ "If it is one of the gods, then you should not even consider the idea," he said flatly, the curiosity extinguishing itself like a candle flame which had burnt for far too long. "They would not deign to talk to the brethren of cursed gods, since we are still out of the king's favour. Who did you consider?"

"Do you trust me?" SeeWoo turned completely to face him, his blue eyes intense. Len stiffened at the unexpected question, and the first word which came to his mind was _no. _No one in their right mind would trust SeeWoo. He was a hypocrite of the worst kind, withholding information so that it would benefit only himself, and he was completely apathetic to the plight of other people…_just like I am, but I don't know if I can continue to be so apathetic if I no longer am unemotional. It is a strange and fresh new experience, and…is this what it feels like to have a conscience? _He thought back to the rune on Miku's skin, and the slight shadow of guilt he once felt returned, this time in full force.

"Well, it matters not," SeeWoo decided, before Len even had a chance to open his mouth. "I will bring you to see them now," his eyes were still gleaming with that unknown farce of emotion. "And if you are careful enough with your words, and sharp enough to unravel the stories they tell you, then you will be able to find out the truth. It is not something I can assist you with, for this is your trouble, and you have landed yourself in the middle of a maelstrom of chaos, all because of your own doing. You will have to save yourself, for when you're damned in such a manner no one else can help you."

_No one else can help you…_they were stark, harsh and unforgiving words, but Len did not feel either remorseful or regretful. Perhaps just a little, for it would be most troublesome and even if he had nothing better to do with his time, he did not want to be embroiled in such a situation – but he knew that in the past, he would have done anything to get his emotions back, and if everything he did up till this point had enabled him to achieve that, then there was absolutely nothing to regret…not for him, at least.

"Take me to them then," he answered softly, his gaze never leaving the still girl on the bed – she looked so much like a doll, even more so than she usually did. He wondered if she was really breathing, or if what he saw was nothing other than an illusion. "Take me to the ones you say can help me with the legendary weapons of old. If they are as knowledgeable and confusing as you claim, then I think I have a fair idea of who you have in mind, and I am not looking forward to it. Let us get this over and done with, for after this I still insist upon discussing with the disciplinary trio," he cautioned.

SeeWoo simply sighed, sounding resigned to the idea. He stretched his hand out, and Len gestured to the bed, asking if they ought to bring Miku along, just so that explaining their problem would be a little easier – visual representations were always better than verbal ones, and despite how these people were omniscient, one little matter could be easily lost in the deluge of information they had to handle every day. This might be something they had overlooked, and if that was the case, Len would have to explain the whole situation to them, piece by excruciating piece. It was a dreadful thought.

SeeWoo shook his head, and unwillingly, Len took hold of his proffered hand. He thought ruefully about how strange it was, that he was relying on someone younger than him to transport him everywhere – _ah, but then I am much older than SeeWoo, even if I look just as young as him _– and he wondered if all gods would eventually age in appearance as well as mind. He certainly did not want to look like a decrepit old man, even if his current reliance on someone younger than him might suggest otherwise.

_I hope this can be resolved quickly. Too many parties are being brought into this for their own good. It is not ideal to have so many knowing of the existence of the key. This had better be the last group, or I swear, I will use Miku to destroy the Halls of the Gods itself._

* * *

><p><em><strong>Solitaryloner: <strong>__I think this is a really, really long chapter and it took me an incredibly long time to write it because…well, a lack of motivation is one reason. Don't worry, I will do my best to complete this story no matter how draining it gets, since it was one of my first few._


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